DESIGN OF VIRTUAL REALITY LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS: STEP-BY-STEP GUIDANCE

Virtual reality in one form or another has been around for over 50 years, most notably in entertainment and business environments. Technology-focused teachers have been leading the way with attempts at utilising and integrating virtual reality into K-12 and Higher Education. However, as quickly as technology changes so does the enthusiasm for the use in educational contexts. Much of this is due to the high-level cost (time and money) with no evidence-based educational return. In 2020 the global pandemic forced the education sector to innovate to provide authentic learning environments for students. The time is right for virtual reality to take centre stage. Over 171 million people worldwide currently use virtual reality, and the market in education is expected to grow by 42% over the next five years. This paper focuses on a range of virtual reality literature encompassing work across the spectrum of software and hardware, identifying where more educational implementation and research needs to be done and providing a perspective on future possibilities focusing on current affordances.

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Immersive vs. non-immersive virtual reality learning environments

10.1109/jicv53222.2021.9600337 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Diego Vergara-Rodriguez ◽

Alejandro Gomez-Asenjo ◽

Pablo Fernandez-Arias ◽

Ana Isabel Gomez-Vallecillo ◽

Victoria Eugenia Lamas-Alvarez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Learning Environments ◽

Immersive Virtual Reality

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The Moderating Effect of Debriefing on Learning Outcomes of IVR-Based Instruction: An Experimental Research

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app112110426 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (21) ◽

pp. 10426

Author(s):

Qinna Feng ◽

Heng Luo ◽

Wenhao Li ◽

Ying Chen ◽

Jiakai Zhang

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Experiential Learning ◽

Learning Environments ◽

Learning Experience ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Critical Role ◽

Moderating Effect ◽

Learning Program ◽

Study Results ◽

Based Instruction

With its ability to afford immersive and interactive learning experiences, virtual reality has been widely used to support experiential learning, of which the learning effectiveness is promoted by the instructional component of debriefing. The current literature on debriefing mainly focuses on the traditional learning contexts while little is known on its effectiveness in immersive virtual reality (IVR) learning environments. Based on the theories of experiential learning and debriefing, this study designed a debriefing strategy based on simulated learning experience and investigated its effectiveness on knowledge and behavioral learning in an IVR learning program, using a randomized controlled trial with 77 elementary students from Hubei province in China. The study results support the efficacy of IVR on improving knowledge acquisition and behavioral performance, and reveal a significant moderating effect of debriefing on the effectiveness of IVR learning environments. The study confirms the critical role of debriefing in IVR-based instruction and provides theoretical and practical implications for the design and implementation of effective IVR learning environments.

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Virtual World Classrooms

Educational Technology Use and Design for Improved Learning Opportunities - Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-6102-8.ch013 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 233-260 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Susan Martin Meggs ◽

Sharon Kibbe ◽

Annette Greer

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Learning Environments ◽

Interior Design ◽

Second Life ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Outcome Evaluation ◽

Educational Value ◽

Traditional Course ◽

Laboratory Component

This chapter provides a comprehensive case study to demonstrate the longitudinal development of online pedagogy for higher education through a lens of interior design. The chapter presents constructivist theory as a guiding pedagogical framework for the creation of learning environments within Second Life (SL) virtual reality. Details of the rigorous process of incorporation of SL, as an enhancement to a traditional course with a laboratory component, is presented to validate the integrity of the scholarship of teaching and learning undertaken in the exemplar case study. The concluding components of the chapter review the iterative process of course outcome evaluation compared to course and accreditation standards to further demonstrate the educational value of virtual reality as an environment for learning.

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Authoring Adaptive 3D Virtual Learning Environments

Web Design and Development ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-8619-9.ch033 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 714-733 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ahmed Ewais ◽

Olga De Troyer

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Learning Environments ◽

Adaptive Learning ◽

Virtual Learning ◽

Learning Technologies ◽

Virtual Learning Environments ◽

Authoring Tool ◽

E Learning ◽

Adaptive Learning Environment ◽

3D Virtual Learning Environments

The use of 3D and Virtual Reality is gaining interest in the context of academic discussions on E-learning technologies. However, the use of 3D for learning environments also has drawbacks. One way to overcome these drawbacks is by having an adaptive learning environment, i.e., an environment that dynamically adapts to the learner and the activities that he performs in the environment. In this paper, the authors discuss adaptive 3D virtual leaning environments and explain how a course author can specify such an environment (i.e., authoring). The approach and tool that the authors present allow authors to create adaptive 3D virtual learning environments without the need to be an expert in 3D or using programming or scripting languages. The authors also conducted an evaluation to validate the approach and the usability and acceptability of the authoring tool. Based on the results, recommendations for authoring adaptive 3D virtual learning environments have been formulated.

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Virtual and Augmented Reality

Educational Technology and the New World of Persistent Learning - Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-6361-7.ch002 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 12-23 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Liston William Bailey

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Instructional Design ◽

Augmented Reality ◽

Learning Environments ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Instructional Designers ◽

Common Elements ◽

Research Institutions ◽

Virtual And Augmented Reality ◽

Instructional Design Practices

This chapter focuses on virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) as tools for teaching and learning. Attainment of skills and knowledge can be supported through the use of VR/AR applications that are being developed both in the commercial sector and at various research institutions. An overview of what differentiates VR and AR is provided to the reader along with considerations of how such applications might be used to support learning environments in the future. If instructional designers and programmers can synchronize their efforts it may be possible to make VA/AR a common feature across learning environments nationally. Common elements of a VR/AR system are discussed here as well as the need to incorporate instructional design practices into the design of learning applications that use VR/AR.

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Virtual Reality Pedagogical Considerations in Learning Environments

Student-Centered Virtual Learning Environments in Higher Education - Advances in Higher Education and Professional Development ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-5769-2.ch002 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 21-39 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Elizabeth A. Johnston ◽

Gerald W. Olivas ◽

Patricia Steele ◽

Cassandra Smith ◽

Liston W. Bailey

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Learning Environments ◽

Direct Instruction ◽

Situated Cognition ◽

Electronic Marketplace ◽

Student Centered ◽

Student Centered Learning ◽

Educational Applications

New virtual reality (VR) educational applications are available in the electronic marketplace almost daily but seldom include pedagogies, materials, recommendations, or insights for adapting or implementing the applications into existing curriculums. Educators need to understand the pedagogical orientations of VR applications to prepare, apply, assess, and evaluate a potentially productive practice that distinguishes and supports different strategies and optimizes student-centered learning. VR educational applications are most frequently built on student-centered models including direct instruction, experiential, discovery, situated cognition, and constructivism pedagogies.

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Designing Web-Based Educational Virtual Reality Environments

Teaching through Multi-User Virtual Environments ◽

10.4018/978-1-61692-822-3.ch010 ◽

2010 ◽

pp. 157-178 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kosmas Dimitropoulos ◽

Athanasios Manitsaris

Keyword(s):

Distance Education ◽

Virtual Reality ◽

Learning Environments ◽

World Wide ◽

Virtual Learning Environments ◽

Virtual Reality Technology ◽

Web Based ◽

Learning Content ◽

The Web

This chapter aims to study the benefits that arise from the use of virtual reality technology and World Wide Web in the field of distance education, as well as to further explore the role of instructors and learners in such a network-centric mode of education. Within this framework, special emphasis is given on the design and development of web-based virtual learning environments so as to successfully fulfil their educational objectives. In particular, the chapter includes research on distance education on the Web and the role of virtual reality, as well as study on basic pedagogical methods focusing mainly on the efficient preparation, approach and presentation of the learning content. Moreover, specific designing rules are presented considering the hypermedia, virtual and educational nature of this kind of applications. Finally, an innovative virtual reality environment for distance education in medicine, which reproduces conditions of the real learning process and enhances learning through a real-time interactive simulator, is demonstrated.

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