Examining Virtual Reality as an alternative to in-person and online learning environments

Abstract

The continuous advances in virtual reality (VR) technology have increased its potential for tasks that require hands-on learning. One potential target for VR is its use as an alternative to online learning when a physical lab cannot be accessed due to learner’s financial, travel, or pandemic-related constraints. We enrolled 15 participants to assess VR’s feasibility as a modality to teach A+ certification skills. Each participant was randomly assigned to three groups (in-person lab, online lab, virtual reality lab). Participants completed System Usability Scale (SUS) and User Burden Scale (UBS) surveys and interviewed about their lab experience. In addition, VR participants completed a Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) survey. Participants reported the VR experience with lower system usability and higher user burden than other learning modalities. Virtual Reality participants in the study scored VR highly in its perceived usefulness, average for its perceived use, and high in perceived usefulness for learning and engagement. Learner adoption and onboarding of VR is a challenge worth surmounting. VR retains attention, increases learner retention, and incentivizes failure recovery. This study provides preliminary evidence supporting that further development of VR for training in spatial tasks holds promise over traditional learning modalities.