In 2019, dr. Paul Ketelaar (Communication Science) and Dr. Wolf-Gero Lange (Experimental Psychopathology and Treatment) received the Innovation Fonds from the Radboud Center for Social Sciences to develop their smartphone app that helps elementary school kids practising their public speaking assignments for school, preventing fear of public speaking to grow in the long run: SpeakApp!-Kids.
Fear of public speaking often arises in childhood when first experiences with presenting in front of audiences are acquired. Sixteen to 33% of adults state that they fear public speaking, and 50% of them claim that it started before the age of 13. This project formed a continuous connection between fundamental and applied research based on these theoretical implications, principles of evidence-based treatment approaches, the technology acceptance model, and co-creation with the potential users; this project formed a continuous connection between fundamental and applied research.
The Virtual Reality app can be used with every modern smartphone and is freely available. In the app, children are immersed in a virtual classroom and see an audience of other elementary school children from their own or different age groups. They can look around the classroom, upload keywords, and set a timer, features that allow children to practice their presentation until they are no longer fearful of speaking in public.
A first study showed that children who practised with the app were generally less anxious during and after a real-life presentation. They also recovered faster and were less afraid when thinking of future presentations. Another study confirmed that, after having had the opportunity to explore the app and formulate suggestions to improve it, children indicated a high intention to use the app in the future, as well as those with elevated degrees of social anxiety.
Upon the official release of SpeakApp!-Kids, during the 100-year Radboud University celebration, it raised overwhelming interest in (social) media, parents, teachers, schools, and teacher educational programs. Paul Ketelaar and Wolf-Gero Lange provided 12 workshops for students becoming elementary school teachers at the University of Applied Sciences Arnhem/Nijmegen, appeared in 2 radio interviews and 1 TV feature and their social media posts were frequently cited, commented on and reposted. In addition, several parties have offered to help develop a version of the app that is suitable for their clients as well, e.g., high schools, universities, and adult education institutes.
As fear of public speaking in its most extreme forms can have lifelong negative consequences, affecting education, career choices or social functioning, SpeakApp!-Kids has excellent potential to significantly impact the lives of many elementary school children and their future as adults.