TY - BOOK

T1 - Breaking Virtual Barriers

T2 - Investigating Virtual Reality for Enhanced Educational Engagement

AU - Sims, Rob

PY - 2024/1/6

Y1 - 2024/1/6

N2 - Virtual reality (VR) is an innovative technology that has regained popularity inrecent years. In the field of education, VR has been introduced as a tool to enhance learning experiences. This thesis presents an exploration of how VR is used from the context of educators and learners. The research employed a mixed-methods approach, including surveying and interviewing educators, and conducting empirical studies to examine engagement, usability, and user behaviour within VR.The results revealed educators are interested in using VR for a wide range ofscenarios, including thought exercises, virtual field trips, and simulations.However, they face several barriers to incorporating VR into their practice, suchas cost, lack of training, and technical challenges.A subsequent study found that virtual reality can no longer be assumed to bemore engaging than desktop equivalents. This empirical study showed thatengagement levels were similar in both VR and non-VR environments, suggesting that the novelty effect of VR may be less pronounced than previously assumed.A study against a VR mind mapping artifact, VERITAS, demonstrated thatcomplex interactions are possible on low-cost VR devices, making VR accessibleto educators and students. The analysis of user behaviour within this VR artifactshowed that quantifiable strategies emerge, contributing to the understanding of how to design for collaborative VR experiences.This thesis provides insights into how the end-users in the education spaceperceive and use VR. The findings suggest that while educators are interested inusing VR, they face barriers to adoption. The research highlights the need todesign VR experiences, with understanding of existing pedagogy, that areengaging with careful thought applied to complex interactions, particularly forcollaborative experiences. This research contributes to the understanding of thepotential of VR in education and provides recommendations for educators anddesigners to enhance learning experiences using VR.

AB - Virtual reality (VR) is an innovative technology that has regained popularity inrecent years. In the field of education, VR has been introduced as a tool to enhance learning experiences. This thesis presents an exploration of how VR is used from the context of educators and learners. The research employed a mixed-methods approach, including surveying and interviewing educators, and conducting empirical studies to examine engagement, usability, and user behaviour within VR.The results revealed educators are interested in using VR for a wide range ofscenarios, including thought exercises, virtual field trips, and simulations.However, they face several barriers to incorporating VR into their practice, suchas cost, lack of training, and technical challenges.A subsequent study found that virtual reality can no longer be assumed to bemore engaging than desktop equivalents. This empirical study showed thatengagement levels were similar in both VR and non-VR environments, suggesting that the novelty effect of VR may be less pronounced than previously assumed.A study against a VR mind mapping artifact, VERITAS, demonstrated thatcomplex interactions are possible on low-cost VR devices, making VR accessibleto educators and students. The analysis of user behaviour within this VR artifactshowed that quantifiable strategies emerge, contributing to the understanding of how to design for collaborative VR experiences.This thesis provides insights into how the end-users in the education spaceperceive and use VR. The findings suggest that while educators are interested inusing VR, they face barriers to adoption. The research highlights the need todesign VR experiences, with understanding of existing pedagogy, that areengaging with careful thought applied to complex interactions, particularly forcollaborative experiences. This research contributes to the understanding of thepotential of VR in education and provides recommendations for educators anddesigners to enhance learning experiences using VR.

U2 - 10.17635/lancaster/thesis/2225

DO - 10.17635/lancaster/thesis/2225

M3 - Doctoral Thesis

PB - Lancaster University

ER -