Abstract
Online-learning is a feasible alternative to in-person attendance during COVID-19 pandemic. In this period, information technologies have allowed sharing experiences, but have also highlighted some limitations compared to traditional learning. Learning is strongly supported by some qualities of consciousness such as flow (intended as the optimal state of absorption and engagement activity) and sense of presence (feeling of exerting control, interacting with and getting immersed into real/virtual environments), behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement, together with the need for social interaction. During online learning, feelings of disconnection, social isolation, distractions, boredom, and lack of control exert a detrimental effect on the ability to reach the state of flow, the feeling of presence, the feeling of social involvement. Since online environments could prevent the rising of these learning–supporting variables, this article aims at describing the role of flow, presence, engagement, and social interactions during online sessions and at characterizing multisensory stimulations as a driver to cope with these issues. We argue that the use of augmented, mixed, or virtual reality can support the above-mentioned domains, and thus counteract the detrimental effects of physical distance. Such support could be further increased by enhancing multisensory stimulation modalities within augmented and virtual environments.
Highlights
During the COVID 19 outbreak, face-to-face teaching has been subjected to dramatic restrictions for all educational cycles, and online-teaching has become the sole alternative to institutional closure
Even if online learning has traditionally been adopted as an alternative opportunity especially intended for higher education cycles, the mandatory switch due to the COVID-19 pandemic did not take into account subjective agreement
The ability to reach an optimal state of flow, the feeling of presence by which we exert control over the environment we are immersed into, and the ability to be engaged within the online classes in order to feel part of a peer community during learning sessions or even enjoy recreational moments are highly interdependent aspects and-as such-strongly support the online learning process
Summary
The widespread use of multimedia and information technologies, as well as the use of the internet, led to a dramatic change in the process of “teaching-learning” [1], and simultaneously generated multiple choices of teaching for higher education. In this vein, institutions such as colleges and universities are involved in a continuous process with a view to improving online course proficiency [2]. Even if online learning has traditionally been adopted as an alternative opportunity especially intended for higher education cycles, the mandatory switch due to the COVID-19 pandemic did not take into account subjective agreement.
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