Is virtual reality the future of learning? A critical reflection

Abstract

The year 2016 marks the so-called second wave of VR, which was initiated by the first consumer VR-HMD, Oculus Rift (development kit), entering the market. There are four practical advantages in the field of virtual reality learning: a shift from abstract to tangible settings, interactivity rather than passive observations, using desirable but practically infeasible methods, and breaking the bounds of reality. In contrast, current VR technologies also feature certain limitations. The most common negative factor is motion sickness, which distracts the user. We conducted a multiple case study and invited 41 people to participate in two different scenarios. One was a self-developed 360° video and the other was a self-developed interactive scenario. We investigate different barriers which hamper individual learning in VR and we point out that there is a potential for implicit learning in virtual reality.