Abstract
As some nature experiences, such as viewing wild animals, may be difficult to implement in science education, immersive virtual reality (VR) technologies have become a promising tool in education. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the effectiveness of nature experiences in VR. In this study, 50 German university students (M = 23.76 years, SD = 3.73 years) from diverse disciplines were randomly assigned to an immersive (head-mounted display; Oculus Quest) or a nonimmersive setting (external computer screen; desktop computer) and individually watched two 360° videos from the social media site YouTube about wolves in their natural habitat. Besides measuring participants’ attitudes towards wolves, we investigated their feeling of presence in the virtual environments with the Spatial Presence Experience Scale (SPES) and the retrospective emotions of interest, joy, and fear with the Differential Affect Scale (M-DAS). The immersive head-mounted display induced higher levels of presence and interest compared to the nonimmersive external computer screen. While higher interest in the screen setting was associated with more positive attitudes towards wolves, such a correlation could not be found in the head-mounted display setting. Thus, our study found that immersive technology could induce interest in a nature experience related to the tested socio-scientific issue, even among people who did not already hold positive attitudes toward the issue. Overall, our findings suggest that 360° videos using immersive technology provide nature experiences with positive affective learning outcomes, even though the study focused on nature experiences in VR and was not an educational experience per se. As we were unable to assess the role of novelty of VR experiences, the application of VR technologies and its effects in larger teaching and learning settings needs to be evaluated in further studies.
Highlights
The destruction of the natural environment has reached an alarming pace and is accompanied by a steady loss of biodiversity [1]
Our study shows how immersive virtual reality (VR) technology is connected to affective learning outcomes in the context of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
With the use of VR technology, a difference in presence and interest could be found, leading to the result that feeling present in a virtual environment was associated with generating increased interest
Summary
The destruction of the natural environment has reached an alarming pace and is accompanied by a steady loss of biodiversity [1] This challenge can only be solved by a change in thinking and a significant increase in our efforts to safeguard natural resources and species conservation, which are linked to the quality of life for all people on our planet [2,3,4]. While the overarching aim of the SDGs is to address global challenges that are crucial for the survival of humanity, they touch upon the underlying ecological, economic, and social dimensions of the respective issues [5] To overcome these challenges, society needs to make informed and responsible decisions for sustainable action. ESD focuses on integrating deeper learning experiences rather than just acquiring knowledge [8]
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