Influence of short-term didactic programs in virtual reality on the connection between figurative and conceptual thinking and memory

Abstract

Introduction. World trends in the dissemination and accessibility of information are especially relevant in the field of education. To this end, the use of virtual reality technologies in education is recognized as an important, promising and complex problem that requires not only widespread implementation, but also the study of the possibilities and influence of the new environment on the cognitive, mental, personal development of the younger generations. The results of one such research are presented in this article. Materials and research methods. To study the influence of short-term training programs in virtual reality on the connection of figurative and conceptual thinking and memory in biology lessons on the topic "Protein Synthesis" with 11th grade students, a training program of the same name was used using various technical training aids in the experimental and control groups. Before and after these lessons (a formative experiment), the following were carried out: a laboratory experiment (one-factor intersubjective plan), testing to measure the amount of short-term memory (test "Studying the processes of reproduction by the method of retained members of the series") and a microsemantic analysis of the content of thinking (according to A.V. Brushlinsky). The results of the research demonstrated an improvement in memory performance based on correctly reproduced elements (according to Student's criterion) with a high density of 3.2 and in the reproduction of sequences of 3.3. Statistical analysis using the Mann-Whitney test revealed significant differences in the results of the experimental and control samples (U1emp 122 and U2emp = 116 less than Ucr). In the process of microsemantic analysis, it was found that the probability of the emergence of VR of the formal-logical composition of thinking and the level of operational schemes is more effective than after a historical lesson. Conclusion. Training in virtual reality on complex biological topics is more effective for the development of conceptual thinking in young men compared to a regular lesson using non-immersive multimedia tools. The use of VR-programs in teaching on complex educational topics in the natural sciences and mathematics contributes to positive changes in the cognitive processes of students.