Evidence for embodied cognition in immersive virtual environments using a second language learning environment

Abstract

Immersive virtual environments (IVEs) are increasingly being explored as potential educational tools. However, it is unclear which aspects of IVEs contribute to learning, including hardware modalities and learner responses (e.g. motivation, usability, cognitive load and presence). One IVE hardware modality particularly backed by theory is embodied controls, with their potential for leveraging embodied cognition for enhanced learning outcomes. This paper explores if embodied controls can be leveraged to enhance learning in an IVE by comparing language learning outcomes from an IVE using embodied controls, and a non-embodied control. It explores two words classes -verbs and nouns -to examine if there is a difference in learning outcome for embodied controls with actions (verbs) and object interactions (nouns). This paper also explores co-variables often linked with IVE learning (motivation, presence, cognitive load) to understand why learning gain occurs. It finds that leveraging embodied controls provides better learning outcomes, with no impact on cognitive load. It also finds that the benefit does not correlate with motivation or presence ratings, suggesting that embodiment-induced motivation or immersion is not the cause of the learning enhancements, and therefore this could be evidence for embodied cognition-based learning in IVEs.

Actions, not gestures: contextualising embodied controller interactions in immersive virtual reality

“…We did not find a significant difference in learning retention after one week between the two encoding conditions, although the action condition showed a higher, non-significant, mean learning gain. This is similar to results in previous work [38]. There are three potential explanations for the difference in significance between the immediate and one-week later tests: (1) the drop in participants (from 48 to 35), as many did not complete the one-week later test, reduced the sensitivity of the test; (2) the difference in learning between the conditions is reduced but not eliminated, reducing the sensitivity of the test; (3) learning gain differences between action and gesture only occur immediately, and longer-term learning is similar between conditions.…”

“…Vasquez found that verbs were remembered better if encoded by performing congruent actions than if learning using traditional text-based memorisation [56]. Ratcliffe found that a combination of verbs and nouns were remembered better if they were encoded by performing actions with objects in IVR, than if there were those actions were not performed but the objects were still present [38]. Fuhrman found improved learning rates for nouns that were learned when using a relevant sensorimotor activity compared to an irrelevant sensorimotor activity or no sensorimotor activity [7]; while Macedonia found similar [25].…”

Capturing self‐regulated learning processes in virtual reality: Causal sequencing of multimodal data

“…Their results showed higher engagement scores and greater learning for the more embodied conditions. Ratcliffe and Tokarchuk (2020) found similar results in their study on the impact of embodied controls on language learning outcomes in an immersive VR environment. The study compared the learning outcomes of participants who used embodied controls with those who used non‐embodied controls.…”

Involvement of the sensorimotor system in less advanced L2 processing: Evidence from a semantic category decision task

“…To disentangle the above-mentioned issues, studies focusing on the embodied effects in L2 processing have been conducted. The results indicated that, as in L1 processing, the sensorimotor system is also involved in L2 processing, although some differences were found in terms of degree or time course (De Grauwe et al, 2014;Dudschig et al, 2014;Vukovic and Williams, 2014;Foroni, 2015;Buccino et al, 2017;Ratcliffe and Tokarchuk, 2020).…”