Long-term effectiveness of immersive vr simulations in undergraduate science learning: Lessons from a media-comparison study

Prajakt Pande, Amalie Thit, Anja Elaine Sørensen, Biljana Mojsoska, Morten E. Moeller, Per Meyer Jepsen

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftsartikelForskningpeer review

Abstract

Our main goal was to investigate if and how using multiple immersive virtual reality (iVR) simulations and their video playback, in a science course, affects student learning over time. We conducted a longitudinal study, in ecological settings, at an undergraduate field-course on three topics in environmental biology. Twenty-eight undergraduates were randomly assigned to either an iVR-interaction group or a video-viewing group. During the field-course, the iVR group interacted with a head-mounted device-based iVR simulation related to each topic (i.e. total three interventions), while the video group watched a pre-recorded video of the respec-tive simulation on a laptop. Cognitive and affective data were collected through the following checkpoints: a pre-test before the first intervention, one topic-specific post-test immediately after each intervention, a final post-test towards the end of the course, and a longitudinal post-test deployed approximately 2 months after the course. Through a descriptive analysis, it was found that student performance on the knowledge tests increased considerably over time for the iVR group but remained unchanged for the video group. While no within-or between-group differences were noted for intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy measures, students in the iVR group enjoyed all the simulations, and perceived themselves to benefit from those simulations.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
Artikelnummer2482
TidsskriftResearch in Learning Technology
Vol/bind29
Sider (fra-til)1-24
Antal sider24
ISSN2156-7069
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2021

Emneord

  • Educational technology
  • Higher education
  • Longitudinal
  • Science education
  • Virtual reality

Citationsformater