Examining apparel design students’ self-efficacy towards using virtual reality in the design process
Aseel Binhajib, Ellen Carol McKinney, Rachel Jean Eike · International Journal of Fashion Design Technology and Education · 2022
Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging technology in garment design that has demonstrated promising student achievement results (Wyss et al., 2014 [Cotton Island: Students’ learning motivation using a virtual world. Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education, 12(3), 219–232]). When educators and institutions adopt new technologies, they need to consider how the unfamiliar technology will affect student’s self-efficacy levels and to design lesson plans accordingly. Therefore, the purpose of this initial study is to examine students’ self-efficacy levels toward the adoption of VR as a design sketching tool. A multiple case study design was employed in this study. Eight undergraduate Apparel Design students enrolled in an Apparel Design course constituted the sample. Data were collected using a self-efficacy scale, and open-ended questions. The data examined levels of self-efficacy in VR use as well as factors that impacted those levels. The findings failed to show differences among factors that influence students’ self-efficacy in VR usage at each self-efficacy level. Based on the findings, research propositions were confirmed or modified, or were additionally proposed.