“In the shoes of another”: immersive technology for social and emotional learning

Abstract

There has been increasing use of interactive technologies in the classroom today and a rising popularity of employing virtual environments as a means to engage students in sensorially rich contexts for more embodied forms of experiential learning. In particular, virtual reality (VR) or immersive virtual environments (IVEs) facilitated by head-mounted displays (HMDs) have been used in the teaching of subject content such as history, geography and science. This article presents the findings of an exploratory study of immersive technology, specifically immersive virtual environments (IVES), for the purpose of social and emotional learning (SEL), in the context of Character and Citizenship lessons in the Singapore classroom. The social and emotional competencies (SECs) examined in this project were specifically empathy and perspective-taking, and responsible decision-making. The study involved a sample of n = 75 students from a cohort of students in a Singapore school, averaged at 15 years of age. Students were randomly divided into three treatment conditions: IVEs, pen-and-paper mental simulation and video-viewing. Each treatment contained a problem scenario, told from a first-person perspective, involving a social and ethical dilemma young people today face. A quasi-experimental, pretest post-test, non-equivalent group design was employed, and the study adopted a mixed-method approach to data collection. The findings reveal that IVEs are not necessarily more effective than the "pen-and-paper" and video viewing approaches to teaching SECs but they can better facilitate perspective-taking and empathy for a higher percentage of students.

Enhancing Empathy in Nursing Education: A Feasibility and Usability Study of Virtual Reality-based Training for Dementia Care

“…Our findings contribute to the growing body of evidence that supports the efficacy of immersive VR experiences in enhancing empathy. Several earlier studies have demonstrated that VR can effectively simulate real-world scenarios, enabling participants to step into the shoes of others and experience situations from different perspectives (Dwivedi et al, 2022;Tan et al, 2022). Such immersive experiences can foster a deeper understanding of patients' emotions and perspectives, a cornerstone of empathy (Bailenson, 2018).…”

Effects of a collaborative and gamified online learning methodology on class and test emotions

“…On this basis, attitude requires that students perceive that the knowledge to be obtained is (i) significant and useful ( perceived usefulness ). In order to achieve this, different studies show the need to previously increase students’ emotional engagement and motivation by means of techniques that foment empathy and self-reflection (Tan et al, 2022 ), and the capacity to resolve and channel the possible conflicts that could arise amongst students (Schnaubert & Bodemer, 2019 ). In the specific literature, Boateng et al ( 2016 ) used data collected from a questionnaire administered to 337 students at the University of Ghana to support the idea that perceived usefulness has a direct relation with attitude in respect to the use of new technologies.…”

Perceived Benefits of Future Teachers on the Usefulness of Virtual and Augmented Reality in the Teaching-Learning Process

“…Meanwhile, VR has proven useful in training the classroom management ability of pre-service teachers [18,19]. Additionally, some evidence finds that this technology is not necessarily more effective than pen and paper and video viewing approaches for learn socio-emotional competences in teenagers [20]. Another review indicates that mixed-reality simulation in particular has the potential for contributing to teacher education, because it offers the potential for learning in various contexts when compared to traditional didactic teaching practices [21].…”