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Virtual reality in academic English writing: exploring factors influencing abstract knowledge learning

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Abstract

Virtual reality technology has been increasingly used in language education. Its immersive nature can help learners to better focus and understand subjects that can be visualized, such as mechanical design, architectural design, and molecular chemical construction. The novelty of the environment can also stimulate learners’ enthusiasm for learning. Nonetheless, little research has focused on how learners’ prior knowledge affects their learning experience and learning outcomes in VR environments, especially when they learn abstract conceptual knowledge. In this work, we developed a VR learning system to help learners acquire abstract knowledge of academic English writing. We used both control and experimental groups to evaluate this system and did a comparative analysis between learners with different prior knowledge. Our results show that compared with learning in a traditional way, learning abstract knowledge in a VR environment can provide learners with a better experience. We also found that learners with poor prior knowledge learned more efficiently in a VR environment when compared to learning in a non-VR environment. Our work sheds light on how to design a VR abstract knowledge learning system for learners with/without previous knowledge.

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Notes

  1. https://www.oculus.com/rift-s/.

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Funding

This research is partly supported by Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) Key Program Special Fund (#KSF-A-03) and XJTLU Research Development Fund (#RDF-17-01-54), and XJTLU Teaching Development Fund (#TDF22/23-R26-219; #TDF2122-R23-163).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computing, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China

    Ziming Li & Hai-Ning Liang

  2. English Language Centre, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China

    Airong Wang

  3. Digital Engineering School, ESIEA, Laval, France

    Diego Monteiro

Authors
  1. Ziming Li
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  2. Airong Wang
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  3. Diego Monteiro
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  4. Hai-Ning Liang
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Correspondence to Hai-Ning Liang.

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The study was categorized as Low-Risk Research (LRR), conducted according to the guidelines regulating LRR projects, and approved by the University Ethics Committee at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University.

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Li, Z., Wang, A., Monteiro, D. et al. Virtual reality in academic English writing: exploring factors influencing abstract knowledge learning. Virtual Reality 27, 2927–2939 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-023-00847-3

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