What is the Value of Virtual Reality for Conceptual Learning? Towards a Theoretical Framework
Denise M. Whitelock, Paul Brna, Simon Holland · Open Research Online (The Open University) · 1996
There is little principled empirical work that has been carried out on the effectiveness of Virtual Reality Environments for educational purposes. We briefly review recent work, and propose a theoretical framework for research into the relationship between Virtual Reality Environments and conceptual learning. The proposed framework suggests that experience obtained through working in a particular class of Virtual Reality Environments automatically improves both performance and conceptual understanding on a specific range of tasks. This framework is a contribution to providing a stronger theoretical basis for a rigorous approach to the selection of appropriate tools for training and education. Such foundational work is necessary for a more coherent approach to harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence and Educational Technology to provide more efficient and effective usage.