Reality-based interaction affecting mental workload in virtual reality mental arithmetic training

ABSTRACT

The concept of digital game-based learning (DGBL) evolves rapidly together with technological enhancements of virtual reality (VR) and smart phones. However, the mental workload (MWL) that VR-training applications demand and motivational qualities originating from user experience (UX) should be identified in order to create effective and enjoyable training/learning challenges that fit with individual users’ capabilities. This study examined the effects of reality-based interaction (RBI) and VR on measures of student motivation and MWL, in a mental arithmetic game for secondary school pupils. In a randomised controlled trial with sixty school children, a mental arithmetic game was tested with three different interaction and two different presentation methods – VR RBI, VR head-mounted-display tapping and tablet flick-gesture. Results found a significant effect of RBI on MWL but no differences in enjoyment of training were found between VR-experience and tablet training-experience. In fact, adding the gaming-context to the mental arithmetic task created an enjoyable, motivating experience regardless of presentation or interaction-style.

KEYWORDS:

• Mental workload
• virtual reality
• digital game-based learning
• reality-based interaction
• education
• user experience

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work has been partially funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG through the COMET programme (5th call) research project LiTech sponsored by the Austrian Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT) and the Austrian Ministry of Science, Research and Economy (BMWFW).