This study aimed to compare the effects of immersive virtual reality (IVR) videos and 2D educational videos on cognitive (i.e. conceptual knowledge) and non-cognitive (i.e. self-efficacy) learning outcomes. Fifty-three students from an all-girls middle school learned about humans’ impact on the ocean through either IVR videos, using a virtual reality (VR) headset, or through 2D videos, using a computer monitor. Results replicate previous findings suggesting that conceptual knowledge gains between IVR and desktop learning experiences is not significant. Also, results show that participants who watched IVR videos reported higher self-efficacy scores and expressed higher feelings of presence than participants who watched the same videos using a computer monitor. Finally, further analyses revealed that the feeling of presence mediated both cognitive and non-cognitive learning outcomes.
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Longitudinal Effects in the Effectiveness of Educational Virtual Field Trips
Virtual and immersive virtual reality, VR and iVR, provide flexible and engaging learning opportunities, such as virtual field trips (VFTs). Despite its growing popularity for education, understanding how iVR compared to non-immersive media influences learning is still challenged by mixed empirical results and a lack of longitudinal research. This study addresses these issues through an experiment in which undergraduate geoscience students attended two temporally separated VFT sessions through desktop virtual reality (dVR) or iVR, with their learning experience and outcomes measured after each session. Our results show higher levels of enjoyment and satisfaction as well as a stronger sense of spatial presence in iVR students in both VFTs compared to dVR students, but no improvement in learning outcomes in iVR compared to dVR. More importantly, we found that there exists a critical interaction between VR condition and repeated participation in VFTs indicating that longitudinal exposure to VFTs improves knowledge performance more when learning in iVR than through dVR. These results suggest that repeated use of iVR may be beneficial in sustaining students’ emotional engagement and compensating the initial deficiency in their objective learning outcomes compared to other less immersive technologies.
more » « less- Award ID(s):
- 1946391
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10368152
- Publisher / Repository:
- SAGE Publications
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Educational Computing Research
- Volume:
- 60
- Issue:
- 4
- ISSN:
- 0735-6331
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- p. 1008-1034
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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