Benefits of immersive collaborative learning in CAVE-based virtual reality

• Published in: International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 1 - 18
• Main Authors: de Back, Tycho T., Tinga, Angelica M., Nguyen, Phong, Louwerse, Max M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 16.11.2020; BioMed Central, Ltd; Springer Nature B.V; SpringerOpen
• Subjects: Achievement Gains; Collaborative learning; Computer Appl. in Social and Behavioral Sciences; Computer Science; Computer Simulation; Computers and Education; Cooperative Learning; Educational Benefits; Educational Technology; Effect Size; Electronic Learning; Higher Education; Humanities; Immersive learning; Immersive virtual reality; Improving classroom teaching; Information Systems Applications (incl.Internet); Instructional Design; Instructional Effectiveness; Interactive learning environments; Law; Learning; Media in education; pedagogical and technological perspectives; Program Implementation; Research Article; Spatial Ability; Spatial data; Statistics for Social Sciences; Technology Uses in Education; Textbooks; The future learning environment; Virtual environments; Virtual reality; Interactive learning environments; Media in education; Collaborative learning; Improving classroom teaching; Virtual reality
• ISSN: 2365-9440; 2365-9440
• DOI: 10.1186/s41239-020-00228-9

How to make the learning of complex subjects engaging, motivating, and effective? The use of immersive virtual reality offers exciting, yet largely unexplored solutions to this problem. Taking neuroanatomy as an example of a visually and spatially complex subject, the present study investigated whether academic learning using a state-of-the-art Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) yielded higher learning gains compared to conventional textbooks. The present study leveraged a combination of CAVE benefits including collaborative learning, rich spatial information, embodied interaction and gamification. Results indicated significantly higher learning gains after collaborative learning in the CAVE with large effect sizes compared to a textbook condition. Furthermore, low spatial ability learners benefitted most from the strong spatial cues provided by immersive virtual reality, effectively raising their performance to that of high spatial ability learners. The present study serves as a concrete example of the effective design and implementation of virtual reality in CAVE settings, demonstrating learning gains and thus opening opportunities to more pervasive use of immersive technologies for education. In addition, the study illustrates how immersive learning may provide novel scaffolds to increase performance in those who need it most.