Can Virtual Simulations Teach A Human Skill Like Empathy?

Can you learn empathy through interacting with a computer—even though, by definition, the skill requires understanding and sympathizing with real people?

When Kathleen Marek first heard about virtual simulations designed to help teachers be more responsive and even empathetic to students in distress, she was skeptical. “I thought it was interesting that it was computer-based,” says Marek, who works as the mental health program coordinator for Santa Clara Unified School District in California, “but it was sort of ironic…………..