Virtual Reality in Education: A Comparative Social Media Data and Sentiment Analysis Study

Abstract

It is essential to consider the public’s viewpoints when it comes to significant issues, such as the adoption and integration of technologies in education. This study aims at analyzing and comprehending the public’s perspectives, sentiments and attitudes towards the use of virtual reality in general and in educational settings. After setting the necessary data requirements, 10,457,344 related tweets from Twitter were identified and retrieved. The data was then analyzed using text mining and sentiment analysis. Based on the results, the public positively perceived the use of virtual reality and mostly expressed emotions of anticipation, trust and joy when referring to its use in education. Finally, the role of virtual reality as an effective educational tool that can enhance students’ engagement, motivation and academic performance was highlighted.