Virtual reality is in many ways a technology looking for an outlet, with education one of the areas where it is being widely tested. New research from Cornell University suggests that students who used immersive virtual reality found the approach more enjoyable than more traditional forms of learning, even though it was no more effective at helping them learn.
“We didn’t know exactly what we were going to see,” the researchers explain. “But it’s amazing that this brand-new technology performed just as well as these tried-and-true methods that are used today in classrooms. So at least we’re not harming students by using VR.”
This boost in enjoyment was especially prominent among students who were regular gamers, with this finding especially closely correlated with the gender of the student. The study set out to explore whether new educational technologies, such as VR, were actually effective.
Hype vs reality
“There’s been a big push for enhanced technology in classrooms,” the researchers explain. “I think we can be in awe of these fancy, shiny devices and it might feel like they’re helping, but we need to know if they actually are.”
The data showed that men were more likely to have experience with video games, which also made them more likely to benefit from the VR-based learning simulation. It’s a finding the researchers believe could have a significant impact on the success of any VR-based deployment of edtech in schools.
What’s more, games requiring players to navigate 3-D spaces were especially popular among men, and especially unpopular with women, which is significant as many learning simulations take this form.
“If you’re unfamiliar with navigating this kind of 3-D space, you’re not going to learn as well in it, so that could be a barrier,” the researchers conclude. “One of the conclusions of our work is that we need to do a better job of asking questions around things that might be gendered, like video game experience. There’s a lot of finer detail you need to know to make VR learning successful.”
