Learning in the spherical video-based virtual reality context: effects of immersion level and spatial ability on learning performance and experience

ABSTRACT

Spherical video-based virtual reality (SVVR) is an emerging technology in the creation of virtual reality learning contexts. Existing studies have shown that immersion level and spatial ability affect learning performance and experience. Different levels of spatial ability also result in different learning performances and experiences in different levels of immersion, but this interaction effect remains unclear in the SVVR context. We conducted a 2 × 2 factorial experimental study to investigate the interactive effect of immersion level (high vs. low) and students’ spatial ability (high vs. low) on learning performance and experience in the SVVR context. A total of 120 college students participated in the study. The results showed that learning performance, presence, and motivation were significantly higher for high immersion than for low immersion. Learning performance was significantly higher for learners with high spatial ability than for those with low spatial ability. There was a significant interaction effect between immersion level and spatial ability on learning performance. The learning performance of learners with low spatial ability was significantly higher at high immersion than at low immersion. These findings provide a reference for educators to better apply SVVR to their teaching and help them personalize their instruction to students.

KEYWORDS:

• Spherical video-based virtual reality
• immersion level
• spatial ability
• learning performance
• learning experience

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Higher Education Teaching Reform Research Project of Hubei Province [grant number 2023089], the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [grant number CCNU24ZZ158], and the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 62307016].

Notes on contributors

Wenhao Li

Wenhao Li is a professor of Educational Technology at Central China Normal University. His research interests are multimedia learning and teacher education.

Cuiru Wang

Cuiru Wang is a doctoral student of Educational Technology at Central China Normal University. Her research interests are multimedia learning.

Wenxue Wang

Wenxue Wang is a middle school teacher at Shenzhen Longgang Foreign Language School Group Hemei Primary School, who have received Master's Degree at Faculty of Artificial Intelligence in Education in Central China Normal University. Her research interests are multimedia learning.

Qinna Feng

Qinna Feng is a doctoral student of Educational Technology at Central China Normal University. Her research interests are multimedia learning. Her research interests are multimedia learning.

Bowen Liu

Bowen Liu is a lecturer of Educational Technology at Central China Normal University. His research interests are educational data mining and learning analytics.