Desktop‐based virtual reality social platforms versus video conferencing platforms for online synchronous learning in higher education: An experimental study to evaluate students' learning gains and user experience.

Background: Online synchronous learning in higher education frequently struggles to overcome the social presence gap, resulting in dissatisfaction and poor learning outcomes. Objectives: This study examined the effectiveness of desktop‐based virtual reality (VR) social platforms compared to video co...

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Publicado en:Journal of Computer Assisted Learning Vol. 40; no. 6; pp. 3454 - 3474
Autores principales: Di Natale, Anna Flavia, Repetto, Claudia, Villani, Daniela
Formato: pictorial research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Wiley-Blackwell Dec2024
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Dec2024
      vid: 40
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      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
      place: Malden, Massachusetts
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        10.1111/jcal.13075
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        atl: Desktop‐based virtual reality social platforms versus video conferencing platforms for online synchronous learning in higher education: An experimental study to evaluate students' learning gains and user experience.
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          Di Natale, Anna Flavia
          Repetto, Claudia
          Villani, Daniela
        affil: Research Centre in Communication Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
      sug:
        subj:
          Virtual Reality
          Computers and Computerization
          Social Media
          Videoconferencing
          Education, Masters
          Learning Methods
          Computer-Assisted Instruction
          Students, Graduate Psychosocial Factors
          Academic Achievement
          Student Experiences
          Human
          Experimental Studies
          Students, College Psychosocial Factors
          Online Education
          Questionnaires
          Interviews
          Usability Study
          User-Computer Interface
          Conceptual Framework
          Comparative Studies
          Multimethod Studies
          Descriptive Statistics
          Data Analysis Software
          Repeated Measures
          Male
          Female
          Adult
          Summated Rating Scaling
          Emotions
          Paired T-Tests
          T-Tests
          Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test
          Post Hoc Analysis
          Scales
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Male
          Female
      ab: Background: Online synchronous learning in higher education frequently struggles to overcome the social presence gap, resulting in dissatisfaction and poor learning outcomes. Objectives: This study examined the effectiveness of desktop‐based virtual reality (VR) social platforms compared to video conferencing (VC) platforms in enhancing students' learning gains and experiences in online synchronous learning. Methods: The study used a within‐subject design, involving 34 college students in two online lecture modules, one via a VR social platform and another through a VC platform. Knowledge assessments occurred pre‐ and post‐modules and after 1 week. Students also completed post‐module questionnaires to evaluate their learning experience, in terms of social presence, easiness of use and perceived emotions. In‐depth interviews provided further insights into their experiences with both platforms. Results: The study showed that using VR social platforms for online synchronous learning enhanced immediate knowledge, especially in students less interested in the content, yet it did not notably impact long‐term knowledge retention. Despite no significant findings in social presence from questionnaires, interviews indicated that the VR's heightened interactivity might be offset by the effect of not seeing others' real appearances in promoting social presence. Furthermore, the VC platform was found to be easier to use, attributed to its familiarity and user‐friendliness. Finally, students experienced increased fun, awe and interest, along with reduced boredom, when using the VR social platform. Conclusion: The findings highlight the potential of VR to enrich online learning while underscoring the need for effective strategies facilitating a smooth integration into educational settings. Lay Description: What is currently known about this topic: Social presence is crucial in online learning.VC platforms may fail to efficiently bridge the social presence gap.VR social platforms can enhance students' experience in online education. What does this paper add: Compares VR and VC effects on learning gains and experiences.Highlights VR's potential to boost immediate knowledge gains.Reveals VR's benefits for emotional engagement. Implications for practice or policy: Suggests integrating VR for more engaging online education.Underlines the need for user‐friendly VR technology.Advocates for training to maximize VR's educational benefits.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        pictorial
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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