Students’ attitudes toward high-immersion virtual reality assisted language learning

Abstract

This pilot study delivers a preliminary report on students' attitudes toward Virtual Reality Assisted Language Learning (VRALL). Learners (N=22) participated in a VRALL lesson and then completed a post-experience survey. Virtual Reality (VR) technology allows for learning experiences that increasingly remove geographic limitations to foreign language learners. Thanks to multisensory features of VR, including 360-degree, three-dimensional visualizations, students' experiences are highly immersive. Descriptive statistics provide preliminary evidence that VR technology is engaging and immersive for learners. Moreover, VR could play a role in Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), especially when pitfalls such as cybersickness are overcome.

Immersive Virtual Reality for Pragmatics Task Development

“…For example, Berti (2019) described the process of developing 360° VR videos to teach Italian and analyzed students’ reflections of the materials gleaned from surveys. Students’ perceptions were also reported by Kaplan‐Rakowski and Wojdynski (2018) who created simulations in 360° visualizations. L2 English learners who interacted with people in various roles reported that their VR experience was engaging.…”

The impact of virtual reality meditation on college students’ exam performance

“…Students seemed to have a mostly favorable view of both types of meditation, with a preference for VR. Reporting a positive attitude toward VR technology is a common finding (see, for example, Kaplan-Rakowski & Wojdynski, 2018 ), given that VR technology was novel to most students. In fact, for several decades now, scholars have pointed out that novelty may lead to the mistaken belief that learning is attributed to a particular technology (e.g., Clark, 1983 ) and that technology can be VR as well (Huang, 2020 ).…”

“…High-immersion VR is a beneficial platform to manage attention (Hoffman et al, 2001 ). As VR has become more affordable and accessible, the technology is being widely used in education and training to motivate students and enhance the learning process (Freina & Ott, 2015 ; Kaplan-Rakowski & Wojdynski, 2018 ). Although still in its infancy, VR meditation is used as a tool in educational and training settings to motivate students in the learning process.…”

Learning and Teaching Pragmatics in the Globalized World: Introduction to the Special Issue

“…For example, CMC tools (e.g., SMS, chat, blogs, and video conferencing) can offer space for learners to directly interact with users of the target language across distances (Cunningham, 2019;Li, 2019;Tang, 2020). Digital games and virtual reality (VR) space (both desktop and immersive VR) can provide interactive and immersive environments where learners simulate different roles in diverse social settings (Holden & Sykes, 2013;Kaplan-Rakowski & Wojdynski, 2018;Sykes, 2009Sykes, , 2013Taguchi, 2021;Vilar-Beltrán & Melchor-Couto, 2013; for a review, see Blyth, 2018;Lan, 2020;Sykes & Dubreil, 2019). In these environments, learners can directly participate in an interactional situation rather than observing the situation as a third person.…”