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With the increasing use of virtual simulated environments and immersive technologies in STEM education and workforce training, it is becoming increasingly important to study and understand how learners’ interactions and navigation in virtual environments affect their learning and skill development. In this paper, we quantify and assess the effect of learners’ navigation in an immersive simulated environment on learning outcomes, where navigation is characterized by the total time spent in the simulation and time allocations to different areas within the virtual environment. We implement a set of immersive simulation-based learning (ISBL) modules in an undergraduate computer science course with eighteen students and record their screen as they navigate in the simulation environment to perform the tasks needed to complete the ISBL assignments. We use a video analytics tool to process and analyze the videos and collect statistics related to a set of navigation-related measures for each student. We also use surveys to collect data on students’ demographics, prior knowledge and experience, personality, experiential learning, and self-assessment of learning. We then perform a set of multivariable regression analyses to characterize and explain the relationship between navigation measures and constructs assessed via survey instruments to determine how/if users’ navigation in the simulated environment can be a predictor of their learning outcomes. The results indicate that the total time spent in the simulation and the distribution of time allocations among different areas within the simulated environment are predictors of experiential learning and students’ self-assessment of learning. 

There is a cohesive body of research on the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) for a wide range of learner groups across different disciplines in engineering education. On the other hand, there is a growing interest in using immersive technologies such as virtual reality (VR) in engineering education. While there are many literature review articles on each of these subjects separately, there is a lack of review articles on the application of combined PBL-VR learning environments in engineering education. This paper provides an assessment of the applications and potential of implementing immersive technologies in a PBL setting to utilize the advantages of both paradigms. More specifically, this paper aims to provide insights related to two main questions: (1) where (in what disciplines/subjects) PBL and VR have been used together in engineering education? And, (2) how are VR and PBL integrated and used in engineering education? The first question is investigated by performing a bibliometric analysis of relevant papers published in the proceedings of previous ASEE annual conferences. The second question is explored by performing a literature review and classification of ASEE papers that discuss the use of VR in conjunction with PBL. Our findings reveal a gap between the application of integrated PBL and VR across different disciplines in engineering education. We also analyze the trends related to PBL and VR application in engineering education over time. Finally, we identify and propose future opportunities related to the combination of PBL and immersive technologies, including but not limited to immersive simulation-based learning (ISBL) and incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into immersive virtual/simulated learning environments used in engineering education.