The Cognitive Affective Model of Immersive Learning (CAMIL): a Theoretical Research-Based Model of Learning in Immersive Virtual Reality

Abstract

There has been a surge in interest and implementation of immersive virtual reality (IVR)-based lessons in education and training recently, which has resulted in many studies on the topic. There are recent reviews which summarize this research, but little work has been done that synthesizes the existing findings into a theoretical framework. The Cognitive Affective Model of Immersive Learning (CAMIL) synthesizes existing immersive educational research to describe the process of learning in IVR. The general theoretical framework of the model suggests that instructional methods which are based on evidence from research with less immersive media generalize to learning in IVR. However, the CAMIL builds on evidence that media interacts with method. That is, certain methods which facilitate the affordances of IVR are specifically relevant in this medium. The CAMIL identifies presence and agency as the general psychological affordances of learning in IVR, and describes how immersion, control factors, and representational fidelity facilitate these affordances. The model describes six affective and cognitive factors that can lead to IVR-based learning outcomes including interest, motivation, self-efficacy, embodiment, cognitive load, and self-regulation. The model also describes how these factors lead to factual, conceptual, and procedural knowledge acquisition and knowledge transfer. Implications for future research and instructional design are proposed.

Authenticity, Interactivity, and Collaboration in Virtual Reality Games: Best Practices and Lessons Learned

“…More recently, Makransky & Petersen (2021) proposed a model of learning designed for immersive learning: the Cognitive Affective Model of Immersive Learning (CAMIL). Much of the early research on learning in VR focused on whether or not VR helped learning compared to other media.…”

“…A central premise in CAMIL is that media and method interact; maximizing the effectiveness of an immersive learning experience requires an understanding of the affordances of that medium and how to tap into (manipulate) those affordances. Presence and agency are the two main psychological affordances of the medium of VR (Johnson-Glenberg, 2018;Makransky & Petersen, 2021) and so "instructional methods that enrich learning through higher presence or agency will specifically increase learning through immersive technology" (Makransky & Petersen, 2021, p. 6). Presence and agency are linked to the level of immersion, the degrees of interactivity (control factors), and the degree of representational fidelity of the experience.…”

Guest editorial

“…Regarding the mechanics of immersive learning, Makransky and Petersen (2021) propose a model of learning that they call The Cognitive Affective Model of Immersive Learning . They argue that immersive virtual reality has two primary affordances: presence and agency.…”

Eye-Tracking-Based Design of Mixed Reality Learning Environments in Stem

“…Since MR-HMD became commercially available in recent years, a couple of applications and studies related to laboratory experiments in STEM education came up [5][6][7][8]. While it seems that the instructional design principles according to cognitive load theory [9] and cognitive theory of multimedia learning (CTML) [10] do also apply to MR learning environments [5], special features may arise depending on the implemented degree of physical presence and agency, which in turn mediate affective and cognitive factors as well as learning outcomes [11].…”