Effects of Time in Virtual Reality Learning Environments Linked with Materials Science and Engineering

Abstract

The increasing presence of virtual reality learning environments (VRLEs) in university classrooms makes it necessary to study what factors influence the effectiveness of this type of teaching tool. In particular, when planning to use a VRLE in class to support the classes, a careful design of the application to achieve a high level of efficiency at the formative level must be carried out. This article discusses key aspects that need to be taken into account during the design of a VRLE that have been determined to be increasingly important for students to achieve a higher level of meaningful learning (and, thanks to it, the knowledge acquired through the use of the VRLE will last in their memory for a longer time) and also feel a greater motivation to use it to: (i) adapt both the level of interactivity as well as the way the VRLE conducts the student through the virtual experiment; and (ii) maintain a look and a handling mode of the VRLE similar to other virtual environments that exist at the present time (e.g. video games). The study carried out and described in this article highlights the effectiveness of using in certain cases a step-by-step guidance protocol to improve long-term learning of concepts under study. In addition, the importance of using modern development tools to achieve a high level of motivation among students is emphasized.