Examining the efficiency of feedback types in a virtual reality educational environment for learning search algorithms

Abstract

Feedback constitutes a fundamental aspect of educational systems that has a substantial impact on students learning and can shape their mental models. The delivery of appropriate feedback in terms of time and content is crucial for facilitating students’ knowledge construction and comprehension. In this paper, we examine the complex nature and the efficiency of feedback in the context of a virtual reality educational environment. More specifically, we study the effect that different types of feedback such as feedback with visualized animations of procedures, can have on students learning and knowledge construction in a virtual reality educational environment for learning blind and heuristic search algorithms. An experimental study was designed where participating students were engaged with learning activities and solved exercises in different feedback conditions. Results from the study indicate that visual types of feedback can have a substantial impact on students’ learning, assisting them in better understanding the functionality of the process studied with respect to performance and mistakes.