Creating Ambassadors of Planet Earth: The Overview Effect in K12 Education

Abstract

The overview effect is the commonly reported experience of astronauts viewing planet Earth from space and the subsequent reflection on and processing of this experience. The overview effect is associated with feelings of awe, self-transcendence, and a change of perspective and identity that manifest themselves in taking steps toward protecting the fragile ecosystem. In the current study, we investigated whether the overview effect can be obtained in school children when simulated using virtual reality (VR) and whether the effect has a positive impact on learning gains. Using questionnaires and attention data in an existing simulation environment used in the school system, we showed that the VR simulation elicits an overview effect experience. Moreover, the experience yields learning gains in the domain of astrophysics. These findings are in line with past evidence regarding the positive impact of awe on learning and can be used to support further investigations of the relation between the overview effect and behavioral changes, specifically for educational purposes.

Beyond the Overview Effect: A Virtual Reality Experience for Sustainability Awareness in Decision-Making

“…According to Zelenski and Desrochers (2021), positive and self-transcendent emotions (e.g., awe, compassion, and gratitude) are particularly effective. Noticeably, they can be related to the overview effect (van Limpt-Broers, et al, 2020).…”

“…The emotional effect of the earth view from space has been studied by Chirico et al (2018) in their work regarding awe (i.e., a feeling astonishment, wonder, and connectedness that humans experience of in front of wide spaces and elements). Awe is in fact a predictor of the overview effect (van Limpt-Broers, et al, 2020). The study by Quesnel et al (2019) shows how awe can increase the human connection with nature, potentially improving pro-environmental and pro-social behaviours, as well as wellbeing.…”

“…Stepanova et al (2019) proposed a set of guidelines to design overview effect experiences in VR, describing a series of design elements, how and in which order they should be presented, as well as possible strategies and features to implement to satisfy the requirements. These guidelines are used by van Limpt-Broers, et al (2020) to design an educational experience for children, showing how the overview effect positively affects learning. De Vries (2021) discusses the potential of the overview effect to boost creativity and problem-solving skills, by merging the calming view of the earth with the constant preparedness for possible problems in extreme space conditions.…”

How Awe Shaped Us: An Evolutionary Perspective

“…To our knowledge, only one study has manipulated awe and looked at subsequent learning outcomes associated with that awe experience. van Limpt-Broers et al (2020) have found evidence that feelings of awe elicited by immersive virtual reality are associated with greater learning outcomes in elementary school-aged children. In this study, participants were given lessons and conducted learning activities about space (e.g., astronauts, satellites, and the solar system) prior to the simulation.…”

Observing the earth from space: Does a virtual reality overview effect experience increase pro-environmental behaviour?

“…Other research has focused on the emotional experience of the overview effect, with a particular focus on feelings of awe and self-transcendence [ 3 , 17 ]. For instance, it has been shown that a VR experience of the overview effect elicited an awe-inducing experience [ 14 ] and that for children high in dispositional awe the VR-induced overview effect was positively associated with their learning performance in the domain of nature conservation [ 18 ].…”