TY - JOUR

T1 - Immersive virtual reality in STEM

T2 - is IVR an effective learning medium and does adding self-explanation after a lesson improve learning outcomes?

AU - Elme, Liisalotte

AU - Jørgensen, Maria L. M.

AU - Dandanell, Gert

AU - Mottelson, Aske

AU - Makransky, Guido

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022, Association for Educational Communications and Technology.

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - The goal of the current study was to investigate the effects of an immersive virtual reality (IVR) science simulation on learning in a higher educational setting, and to assess whether using self-explanation has benefits for knowledge gain. A sample of 79 undergraduate biology students (40 females, 37 males, 2 non-binary) learned about next-generation sequencing using an IVR simulation that lasted approximately 45 min. Students were randomly assigned to one of two instructional conditions: self-explanation (n = 41) or control (n = 38). The self-explanation group engaged in a 10 min written self-explanation task after the IVR biology lesson, while the control group rested. The results revealed that the IVR simulation led to a significant increase in knowledge from the pre- to post-test (ßPosterior = 3.29). There were no differences between the self-explanation and control groups on knowledge gain, procedural, or conceptual transfer. Finally, the results indicate that the self-explanation group reported significantly higher intrinsic cognitive load (ßPosterior =.35), and extraneous cognitive load (ßPosterior =.37), and significantly lower germane load (ßPosterior = −.38) than the control group. The results suggest that the IVR lesson was effective for learning, but adding a written self-explanation task did not increase learning after a long IVR lesson.

AB - The goal of the current study was to investigate the effects of an immersive virtual reality (IVR) science simulation on learning in a higher educational setting, and to assess whether using self-explanation has benefits for knowledge gain. A sample of 79 undergraduate biology students (40 females, 37 males, 2 non-binary) learned about next-generation sequencing using an IVR simulation that lasted approximately 45 min. Students were randomly assigned to one of two instructional conditions: self-explanation (n = 41) or control (n = 38). The self-explanation group engaged in a 10 min written self-explanation task after the IVR biology lesson, while the control group rested. The results revealed that the IVR simulation led to a significant increase in knowledge from the pre- to post-test (ßPosterior = 3.29). There were no differences between the self-explanation and control groups on knowledge gain, procedural, or conceptual transfer. Finally, the results indicate that the self-explanation group reported significantly higher intrinsic cognitive load (ßPosterior =.35), and extraneous cognitive load (ßPosterior =.37), and significantly lower germane load (ßPosterior = −.38) than the control group. The results suggest that the IVR lesson was effective for learning, but adding a written self-explanation task did not increase learning after a long IVR lesson.

KW - Generative learning strategies

KW - Self-explanation

KW - STEM education

KW - Virtual reality

U2 - 10.1007/s11423-022-10139-3

DO - 10.1007/s11423-022-10139-3

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 35873274

AN - SCOPUS:85134522886

VL - 70

SP - 1601

EP - 1626

JO - Educational Technology Research and Development

JF - Educational Technology Research and Development

SN - 1042-1629

IS - 5

ER -