Finding the Gaps about Uses of Immersive Learning Environments: A Survey of Surveys

Abstract

Advancing the field of research in Immersive Learning Environments requires avoiding the pitfalls of previous educational technologies. Studies must consider the actual use of these environments and the context where it occurs, not simply the technocentric perspectives on these environments. This paper provides an overview and analysis of surveys on this topic, in order to map the field and find out which information on actual uses of Immersive Learning Environments are reported, and hence which gaps need to be covered towards a robust, encompassing knowledge on their relationship with learning. Collected accounts of use were clustered via thematic analysis and contrasted with research areas in learning and technology, highlighting the gaps in the field and serving as a blueprint for research agendas on uses of immersive learning environments.

Recommendation Tool for Use of Immersive Learning Environments

“…Regarding the 16 uses of ILEs identified by Beck et al [26], such as those visible in Fig. 4, we created a matrix that provided examples of how to apply each use within the four pedagogical methodologies.…”

“…Beck et al [26] used this approach to immersion and situated the uses of immersive environments for learning within Nilsson et al's immersion cube framework. Although there are many ways to interpret and organize instructional uses of immersive environments, the authors provide an inductively derived list that can be used to better understand the intersections of the different types of immersion (e.g., technical, narrative, and challenge) and various instructional uses.…”

“…They found 16 use typologies or simply "uses", grouped under six different clusters found along the three axes. We are employing Beck et al's [26] sixteen uses as mapped into Nilsson et al's immersion cube framework in the development of this tool, as described in the next sections.…”

“…In line with this, instructors often do not know how to leverage immersive technologies to implement immersive learning environments. An immersive learning environment (ILE) considers three dimensions of immersion: one is the feeling of presence within a space provided by immersive technologies, another is the psychological absorption provided by narrative aspects, and yet another the psychological absorption originating from mental engagement while exerting agency, such as completing challenges, making decision, or collaborating with others [26].…”

Proceedings of the 27th Conference on Computer Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA) [Volume 2]

“…This demonstrates iVRs' role in shaping communication in a carbon-free educational setting. Surveys report a lack of rigorous methods able to track progress in situated learning (Mikropoulos and EXPLORING THE EFFECT OF IMMERSIVE VR ON STUDENT-TUTOR COMMUNICATION Natsis, 2011), and few studies focusing on design education (Milovanovic et al, 2017;Ummihusna and Zairul, 2021) and related objectives such as interaction during exploration (Beck et al, 2020). More research is needed to determine how iVRs change student-tutor communication to take advantage of iVR systems as educational media and provide a carbon-free SDG4 quality education.…”