Mobile-Based Virtual Reality: Why and How Does It Support Learning

Abstract

Virtual reality has rapidly evolved from desktop applications to mobile devices with headsets, creating an immersive environment. Learning institutions at both the K-12 and higher education levels have begun to purchase virtual reality kits consisting of mobile devices and virtual reality headsets. The purpose of including the virtual reality kits in instruction is to positively impact learning by streamlining the cognitive pathway of information from sensory input to working memory. A plausible explanation for this learning phenomenon is the Hypothetical Model of Immersive Cognition (HMIC), a combination of the cognitive features of the information processing theory with the inclusion of the body from embodied cognition. As immersive virtual reality (IVR) stimuli are presented to the brain, the sensory register filters the stimuli, creates a sense of presence, and immediately activates long-term memory, bypassing working memory. While the process can streamline the cognitive pathway, it also has the potential to cause cognitive and physical overload, possibly resulting in cognitive loss, dizziness, falls, and sickness for even the healthiest of learners. Software developers need to take cognitive and physical overload into consideration when developing new mobile immersive applications. Furthermore, instructors and instructional designers need to structure their instruction by embedding immersive virtual reality without losing sight of the main focus of the learning. Instructors and designers should take into account the established curriculum, design of the mobile immersive app, and setup of the physical environment. Future research should be conducted to determine the long-term impact immersive virtual reality has on the brain, body, and learning in general.