Virtual Educational Environment Research Articles

Using immersive virtual environments for teaching and socializing children with autism spectrum disorder

The authors' research interests are focused on the development of preschool children with autism spectrum disorder and the potential of virtual reality technologies for teaching and developing children in a gaming environment. The article reviews articles published in peer-reviewed journals and posted in the Scopus database and the Google Scholar search engine for scientific publications over the past 10 years. The objective of the review is to identify international research experience regarding the impact of virtual environments and hardware on children with autism spectrum disorder, their potential effectiveness, recommended conditions and limitations of using virtual reality for social adaptation, development of communication, cognitive and motivational skills. The articles analyzed in the review focus on the following issues: the potential and results of using different types of virtual reality technologies for developing various skills and abilities in children with autism; using virtual reality to work with problems and risks; as well as the features, limitations and safety of using virtual reality headsets by children with autism spectrum disorder. It is recommended to use immersive virtual environments for children with autism under the following conditions: the presence of close and trusted people (caregivers or parents), the presence of real game objects for switching children after exiting the virtual environment and distracting attention from possible negative effects of using gadgets, continuing communication with the child after a virtual reality session in a normal physical space to practice the skill being taught, specific time limits for staying in the virtual environment, etc. It is concluded that the results of using virtual reality technologies remain contradictory, but valid data from scientific research allow us to assert that the use of immersive virtual environments is acceptable, can be effective for teaching children with autism spectrum disorder and, if certain conditions are met, is adequately perceived by them.

Student voice and choice in the virtual classroom: engagement strategies

The coronavirus pandemic has compelled a transition to distance and online education, requiring instructors and students to adjust swiftly. During this transition period, it became crucial to prioritize comprehending students’ perspectives and decision-making within virtual educational environments. The present study investigates the strategies a GPCOM (Purposive Communication) instructor employs at a premier university to enhance student autonomy and decision-making through student voice and choice in the online learning environment. Data were collected via a survey comprising Likert scale items and open-ended questions from the 335 participants who participated in the study. The study results indicate that educators significantly facilitate student engagement in expressing their thoughts and ideas, promoting self-discovery, critical thinking, and collaborative problem-solving. Student preferences noted that active learning, utilization of technology, and engagement in class discussions were prominent options. Several strategies were employed to promote student engagement, such as fostering cooperation, implementing interactive gamification techniques, establishing real-life linkages, facilitating class debates, and encouraging self-directed learning. This study emphasizes the crucial role of instructor assistance in virtual learning while recognizing and integrating student preferences. Doing so aims to create a well-rounded and captivating virtual learning experience.

Virtual Immersion in STEM Education: A MICMAC Study on How Virtual Reality Impacts the Understanding and Application of Scientific Concepts

The integration of virtual reality into STEM education has generated growing interest in how this technology impacts the understanding and application of scientific concepts. This study focuses on investigating this relationship by using the MICMAC technique to identify key variables and their interactions in virtual educational environments. It was found that variables such as the design of educational content, the quality of the virtual experience, and the interactivity of the environment are key to the learning process in STEM. In addition, determinant and autonomous variables were identified, which play fundamental roles in the generation of scientific knowledge for students. These results highlight the relevance of considering various aspects of virtual educational design to improve the effectiveness of learning in STEM. The practical implications of this study are significant for educators and educational program designers, highlighting the need to create immersive, interactive, and collaborative virtual environments to promote better understanding and application of scientific concepts. This study contributes to existing knowledge by providing a deeper understanding of how virtual reality can enhance learning in STEM, and suggests directions for future research in the field.

Exploring Emotional Vulnerability and Sense of Agency in the Digital Realm: A Three-Year Case Study of an EFL Teacher in South Korea

This study presents the findings from a longitudinal case study on a Korean English teacher’s experience of emotional vulnerability and professional development in online teaching. Grounded in an ecological perspective on teacher agency and emotional vulnerability, the study investigates how and why the teacher exercised agency in navigating her emotional challenges and adapting to the virtual teaching environment. Data were collected from various sources, including interviews, observations, field notes, and artifacts, for three years. The findings showed that the intricate connection between the teacher’s multiple and dynamic emotions, beliefs, and concurrent working environments significantly influences her engagement in digital teaching practices. Furthermore, the teacher’s emotional vulnerability in virtual teaching facilitated her engagement in reflective and action-oriented practices, leading to a more proactive approach to exploring and implementing alternative teaching methods online. The findings highlight the interplay between emotions, agency, and identity development, emphasizing the importance of experiencing, understanding, negotiating, and expressing emotions to discover potential alternative teaching resources and methods in ever-changing teaching environments. This study provides insights into how teachers can leverage their emotions and exercise teacher agency to enhance their professional growth and adaptability in digital learning environments.

Model for Designing Gamified Experiences Mediated by a Virtual Teaching and Learning Environment

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) face new challenges in regard to technological development in light of necessary pedagogical and didactic innovations in educational action. This article proposes a Technological–Pedagogical Gamification Model (MGTP) that guides the design of gamified educational practices in Virtual Teaching and Learning Environments (EVEAs). The MGTP proposal is based on theoretical cores of Pedagogy and Computer Science theories, as well as works related to gamified experiences in EVEA where the social, cognitive, and teaching presences were analyzed. This work also presents an initial validation of the MGTP through expert judgment, and its results are analyzed from both a qualitative (content analysis and comments) and quantitative (using the Content Validity Coefficient method) perspective. These results reveal a high level of acceptance of the model by experts that is corroborated by reliability tests (Cronbach’s alpha and split-half reliability test). The results facilitated the development of a final version of the model for its subsequent application and evaluation in university practice.

Exploring the impact of the metaverse on English language teaching: Perspectives of students from the University of Boyacá

This study investigates the impact of the metaverse on English language teaching, focusing on the perspectives of students from the University of Boyacá. The use of the metaverse was compared with the Moodle platform in a virtual educational environment. A mixed-method approach combining quantitative and qualitative methods was employed. The sample consisted of 30 university students enrolled in English courses, randomly assigned to two groups: one using the metaverse and the other using Moodle. Students’ grades on different activities and assessments throughout the course were collected, and semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore students’ perceptions of the educational platforms. Results revealed that while students recognize the potential of the metaverse to enhance interactivity and learning experience, they also identified technical and accessibility challenges. Although no significant differences in grades were found between the groups, less variability in grades was observed in the metaverse group. The mixed design allowed for a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of the metaverse on English language teaching, while providing a variety of student perspectives on their experience with educational technology. This research contributes to understanding the role of the metaverse in English language teaching and highlights key areas for future research and developments in the field of virtual education.

Enhancing Food Safety and Sanitation Education: Developing an Immersive Learning Platform Using Virtual Simulation

ABSTRACT In hospitality management education, diminishing interest in food safety and sanitation education poses challenges compounded by limited awareness of its importance. An immersive learning platform with virtual simulation environments for food safety and sanitation education was developed and integrated into a foodservice management course on a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management curriculum. This paper describes the development and implementation of the immersive learning platform, highlighting its positive impact on learning outcomes to date. The paper underscores the practical use of immersive technology in food safety and sanitation education and suggests avenues for further research to optimize student learning and engagement.

Research on the promotion of intelligent entertainment voice robots in personalized English learning based on data mining and gamified teaching experience

With the development of educational technology and the arrival of the intelligent era, intelligent entertainment voice robots have gradually become a research hotspot in the field of education. This study aims to explore the application of intelligent entertainment voice robots based on data mining in the promotion of personalized English learning, and combine with gamified virtual teaching to improve learners’ learning interest and learning effect. The study uses data mining technology to analyze learners’ learning data, interest preferences and learning performance, and provides learners with targeted learning resources and gamified virtual teaching environment based on personalized recommendation. The study creates a virtual teaching environment presented in the form of games, which contains various interesting tasks, challenges and reward mechanisms. Learners can participate in the virtual teaching environment at the same time, experience the fun and stimulation of games, so as to stimulate the interest and motivation of learning. Learners can engage in interactive speech learning through conversations with intelligent entertainment speech robots. The robot can provide real-time answers to learners’ questions, provide personalized learning suggestions, and provide encouragement and feedback. By interacting with robots, learners can get more flexible and personalized learning support, improving learning effectiveness and satisfaction. Through experiments and data analysis, it is found that intelligent entertainment voice robot based on data mining and gamification teaching experience can effectively improve learners’ learning interest and learning effect. Learners show higher engagement and motivation in personalized recommended learning resources and gamified virtual teaching environments.

Analysis of the Implementation of Virtual Learning Environments to Strengthen Research in Higher Education

Objective: In this article, the aim is to explore in detail how AI is specifically applied to technical and technological education within universities. Methods: Data collection was conducted through a comprehensive search in academic databases, using key terms such as "virtual learning environments" and "higher education." Inclusion criteria were established to select relevant studies, excluding those focused on primary or secondary education. Qualitative data analysis identified patterns and trends in the implementation of VLEs in higher education, highlighting effective practices and common challenges. The benefits of VLEs, such as universal access to educational resources and global collaboration among researchers, were emphasized, but limitations were also acknowledged, such as limited technological infrastructure and the need for teacher training. Although the possibility of omissions and biases in the study was recognized, a conscious effort was made to minimize them through a transparent and systematic approach to data collection and analysis. Result: This strategy of building a document matrix allowed for covering a wide range of research on the implementation and effectiveness of Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) in higher education. Each article underwent rigorous analysis to identify relevant data related to the research objectives, methodologies, results, and conclusions. The development of this matrix represents a fundamental step in the research process by facilitating a structured and systematic evaluation of the existing literature in this constantly evolving field.

Developing virtual collaborative health team educational environments

In this short paper we introduce a conceptual framework that is under development to create virtual educational environments to simulate collaborative health team experiences. Building on our work of developing virtual environments for authentic Paramedicine education scenarios, we are extending the concept across the seven health disciplines at the university, beginning initially with a prototype involving three health discipline teams: Paramedicine, Nursing, and Physiotherapy. Using a design based research methodology we are developing prototypes of immersive simulated environments to simulate the real - world interaction between these three health teams for our students. We leverage a low cost mobile BYOD approach enabling rapid prototyping and development of these scenarios.

The pecking order: a Bourdieusian look at authority in virtual peer crits

AbstractCultural capital having sway in establishing authority in educational fields, including architecture, has been prevalent in scholarly work discussing the traditional studio setup. With the growing use of multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) in architectural education, some studios, their occupants, and artifacts moved to the new medium. Such change places those studios in a precarious position vis-a-vis traditional architectural pedagogy, problematizing cultural capital and authority. This research examines the relationship between cultural capital and authority, focusing on MUVE-mediated studio peer crits. It adopts a quasi-experimental approach, where twenty-four participants with varying design proficiencies in diverse peer compositions completed a timed design task. The research employs linkography for analysis and Pierre Bourdieu's theoretical framework for interpretation. The findings suggest that MUVEs have a transformative effect on exogenous cultural capital, potentially disrupting previously established norms and hierarchies in architectural pedagogy and creating new hierarchical models, which add nuances to the existing models in the literature. A MUVE-mediated studio has the potential to present the studio as a new exploratory ground not weighed down by pre-established notions of studio culture "habitus."

User experience and interface assessment for metaverse platforms on nurses and nursing students: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe metaverse, a rapidly evolving virtual environment, offers new opportunities for healthcare education. The effectiveness of the metaverse as a learning tool depends on user readiness and platform characteristics. AimThis study aimed to examine the current use of metaverse platforms among nurses and nursing students in South Korea and explore the relationship between user characteristics and their metaverse experience, focusing on presence, usability, and user experience. DesignThis was a cross-sectional descriptive study. SettingsRegistered nurses and nursing students from various healthcare settings and educational institutions in South Korea participated in this study. ParticipantsThis study included 428 participants, comprising 188 nurses and 240 nursing students. MethodsBetween September and November 2022, participants provided voluntary informed consent. The participants engaged with one of the following two metaverse platforms: ZEPETO (mobile-based) or Gather (screen-based). After four structured exploration phases, the participants completed online questionnaires. These surveys assessed general characteristics, metaverse self-efficacy, sense of presence, usability, and user experience. ResultsMost participants had previous experience with the metaverse and rated their metaverse self-efficacy at 3.60. Nurses scored higher than nursing students in terms of presence, usability, and user experience in the metaverse. Higher work self-efficacy in nurses and academic self-efficacy in nursing students were associated with more positive experiences in the metaverse. Nurses consistently rated higher across all subdomains of presence, usability, and user experience than nursing students. The type of metaverse platform also significantly influenced user experience. ConclusionsA significant proportion of Korean nurses and nursing students are familiar with the metaverse, reflecting a global trend towards virtual environments in education and healthcare. Although the metaverse holds promise for healthcare education, its effectiveness depends on user readiness, platform characteristics, and the development of a reliable, structured, and user-friendly educational programme.

Estratégias de aprendizagem digital em ambientes educacionais virtuais

Digital education has transformed the teaching-learning processes and mainly the teaching role. Indeed, its mission has evolved from being a builder, selector, and transmitter of knowledge to being a companion, mediator, and motivator in the construction of knowledge. In this sense, the research analyzes the digital learning strategies applied by the teacher in virtual educational environments. For this purpose, a quantitative and qualitative study was carried out on a group of 30 participating teachers who perfected their digital skills and socialized these in their educational field. The results show considerable appreciation of digital educational resources as a fundamental part of their digital strategies, as well as teaching skills and professional training. Finally, the research determined a high adaptation and integration of digital procedures to management and teaching work.

LMS Moodle as Seen through the Eyes of Students: Advantages and Disadvantages of Electronic Educational Environment

The Moodle learning management system has been successfully implemented in a variety of training courses for distance or blended learning in the educational system of higher education institutions. The study presents the results devoted to the analysis of the use of the virtual educational environment Moodle in the educational process of Baikal State University. The main purpose of the article is to consider the possibilities of the Moodle learning management system from the point of view of students enrolled in bachelor's and specialist programs in full-time format, followed by the development of recommendations to improve the quality of courses creation. The research methodology is based on the statistical analysis of the data (quantitative and qualitative) obtained as a result of the survey (empirical method). The novelty of the work lies in an attempt to look at the problem from the prospective of the end user and the electronic educational environment user, in this case, the student. Anticipating the start of the development of electronic courses that form general professional competencies at Baikal State University, the relevance of the research is beyond doubt, and its results can be useful to a wide range of e-courses creators. As a part of the survey, students evaluated their computer skills, selected the key functions of LMS Moodle that they needed to study at a university, evaluated the pros and cons of this tool and chose the preferred type of training. Conclusions were drawn about the expediency of introducing a hybrid learning model using LMS Moodle, combining various forms of distance and face-to-face learning.

Behavioral intention, perception and user assessment in an immersive virtual reality environment with CFD simulations

This study explores technology acceptance, perception and user assessment of an immersive virtual reality environment with computational fluid dynamics simulations in engineering education. 57 participants from three different institutions tested the virtual reality application. Partial least squares structural equation modeling and interferential statistics were performed to predict and assess interrelations among constructs. Results show that the learning value, content value, intrinsic motivation and personal innovativeness are underlying factors behind students’ intention to use virtual reality. Pair-wise analysis indicates that users’ perceptions matter and positively affect their attitudes. In addition, the virtual reality application helps students perform significantly better in the post-knowledge test. Findings also highlight that prior experience and interest can affect students’ attitudes and behavioral intentions to accept the virtual reality application in education. Our study can guide lecturers and developers to achieve on-target immersive virtual reality learning environments in higher education.

Para Medicine Students’ Experiences of Virtual Education: A Qualitative Study

Background: The emergence of the Internet and its development led to the expansion of virtual education. The development of virtual education in recent years has had a tremendous impact on the improvement of education and the establishment of educational justice in different parts of the world. Despite its advantages, virtual education is also associated with some challenges. The present study aimed to investigate para medicine students’ experiences of virtual education. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using conventional content analysis. The participants were 25 students in various fields of para medicine who were selected using purposive sampling. The study took place at universities in the north of Iran. The data were collected using semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus groups from January to April 2022. The collected data were analyzed using Graneheim and Lundman’s qualitative content analysis method. Results: The core category identified in this study was from helplessness to interaction which was divided into three main categories (challenges and desperation, deprivation of mutual interaction and learning, and resilience and adaptation) and fourteen subcategories. Conclusion: The main theme extracted from the interviews with the participants was from helplessness to interaction. When a person has numerous failures, cannot control environmental conditions, and feels the ineffectiveness of their activity and response, they will experience a sense of vulnerability. Thus, the person has to accept the conditions and interact with them. In other words, interaction is a skill that improves the ability to quickly learn new skills and behaviors in response to the conditions. Thus, identifying challenges and realizing the weaknesses, strengths, opportunities, and threats governing the existing virtual education environment can help to turn many threats into opportunities, promote virtual education, and support teachers and students to improve the quality and quantity of the teaching-learning process in the COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 era.

Learning Management System in the Post-Pandemic Era: Comparative Study

In the post-pandemic era, virtual educational environments are replacing the role of traditional classroom instruction. Due to the technological revolution and the COVID-19 pandemic, learning has evolved considerably in recent decades in educational parties at the higher education levels in Indonesia have offered various new options. LMS is referred to as a program that may optimize the ease of learning while promoting sustainable learning at home, particularly for lecturers who must provide teaching-learning during the challenging periods of the COVID-19 pandemic. Existing previous studies confirmed that acceptance of the LMS in higher education may vary from one country to another. This paper attempted to answer questions dealing with students’ engagement in learning and the usage of LMS in Indonesia compared to other countries. The study surveys online polling and measures their acceptance and preference of LMS in Indonesian higher education. The findings showed that as a sustainability program in higher education, LMS had favourable impacts during the COVID-19 outbreak and was recognized as user-friendly.

Factors motivating the adoption of virtual learning environments in higher education. Is gender relevant?

This study aims to examine the influence of gender on the adoption of a virtual learning environment (VLE) in higher education in Ghana during COVID-19 restrictions. A survey approach was used, with a total sample of 488 responses from the University of Professional Studies, Accra. To reveal gender differences, both male and female respondents were subjected to a multi-group analysis. The factors impacting students’ intention to use VLE were determined using the structural equation modeling approach employing SmartPLS 3.3.3 software. Accordingly, both gender groups show that subjective norm elements significantly influence intention to adopt VLE; however, the male group (β = 0.873, p = 0.000) reports more significant influences than the female group (β = 0.571, p = 0.000). The study establishes that the newly incorporated construct in the theory of planned behavior, attitudes towards social distancing, significantly affects males’ behavioral intention to use VLE more than their female peers. This result demonstrates the robustness of the theory of planned behavior for evaluating technology acceptance research.

Expectations, experiences and challenges of nursing students using the virtual learning medium during the COVID-19 pandemic: A descriptive phenomenological study.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused several higher educational institutions to switch from traditional face-to-face to virtual learning medium. This abrupt shift came with new expectations, experiences and challenges to nursing/ midwifery students, particularly new users, and even more so when preparation, orientation, and support were lacking or ineffective. The present study therefore aimed at exploring the expectations, experiences and challenges of nursing students using the virtual learning medium during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a descriptive phenomenological design using 12 purposively sampled nursing and midwifery students from a public university in Ghana. With the aid of a semi-structured guide, individual face-to-face interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim at a later time and deductively analyzed into themes using the customer experience execution model. Participants were aged 22-36 years and involved equal number of males and females (n = 6), with majority being Christians (n = 11). Six themes were generated from the study: (1) "Initial thoughts and emotions" described participants initial reactions to the virtual educational medium during the pandemic; (2) "Expectations with the virtual medium" referred to the participants' anticipations regarding the convenience offered by the virtual medium; (3) "Experiences with the virtual medium" depicted the participants' recognition of both positive and negative encounters while using the virtual learning platform; (4) "Evaluation and recommendation" described participants' reports of meeting expectations and recommendations they made to enhance virtual learning; (5) "Challenges and limitations of the virtual medium" typically represented the obstacles encountered by nursing/ midwifery students when they embraced the virtual medium; (6) "Prospects of the virtual medium" referred to participants' views on the future of the virtual medium. The study has brought to light that the virtual education environment comes with its own expectations, experiences and challenges to students. Provision of adequate support such as orientation and simulation laboratories by higher education institutions to satisfy students' needs is necessary to enhance nursing education.

Interactive Teaching in Virtual Environments: Integrating Hardware in the Loop in a Brewing Process

The teaching–learning process developed was based on the effective integration of the Hardware in the Loop (HIL) technique to control a brewing process. This required programming the autonomous control of the system and uploading it to a physical controller consisting of a PLC S7-1200, which communicates in real time with a virtual brewing environment, in addition to a SCADA system, providing engineering students with a unique practical experience. The system allows the emission of input signals from sensors and the reception of output signals in actuators, which is reflected accurately and in real time in the virtual environment. Students cannot only observe but also control and manipulate the system using specifically developed programs. This methodology enriched the understanding of industrial processes and fostered the acquisition of control skills. This research work reveals that the combination of the physical and the virtual through the HIL technique offers an effective approach for the training of engineers, improving their understanding of industrial control processes and their ability to intervene practically in real industrial situations.