Immersive virtual field trips using head-mounted displays (HMDs) allow teachers to guide students in exploring virtual learning environments. However, there is limited academic evidence that examines the educational impact of these field trips. Therefore, this study aimed to address this gap by inviting 60 elementary school students to partake in a virtual field trip to the Suzhou Classic Garden in China. The purpose was to assess their academic performance and learning experiences, including their perceived sense of presence and changes in motivational beliefs. Additionally, the study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Meyer's principles of personalization in Asian cultures, particularly Chinese cultures. The primary school students were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions created by a 2 (tabletop VR vs. immersive VR) × 2 (conversational vs. formal) factorial design. The findings revealed that while learning with immersive virtual field trips was more engaging than with desktop virtual field trips, it did not significantly affect academic performance. On the other hand, virtual field trips conducted in a conversational manner were found to effectively enhance academic performance, but had no impact on perceived presence. These results have practical implications for the use of immersive virtual field trips in the classroom environment and provide validation for the effectiveness of personalization principles in an Asian cultural context.

Authors:
Jing Chen, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
Nur Azlina Mohamed Mokmin, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia

About the Presenter(s)
Jing Chen is presently enrolled in a doctoral program specializing in Multimedia Instructional Design and Evaluation at Universiti Sains Malaysia.

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