LIS 60050 – Research Proposal

Katie Feldkamp
August 15, 2017

Virtual Reality’s Infinite Potential and Impact on the Future of Education

Introduction and Problem Statement

Nowadays when the idea of virtual reality (VR) comes up in conversation, one might think of a
video gamer sitting at home with a headset strapped on, controller in their hands, and immersing
themselves in the newest game release. However, with new advances in the technology
becoming more mainstream and available to the public, people are beginning to recognize the
potential of virtual reality in more than just the video gaming world. To the surprise of many,
though, virtual reality is not a new technology – it has actually been around since the 1930’s. Not
only that, but its original function was for the purpose of the training pilots through a flight
simulator (“How did virtual reality begin,” 2016), so it makes sense that virtual reality would
make its way into the classroom as a learning tool for educators.

For this research proposal, I would be studying how the introduction of virtual reality could
impact the future of education because I want to find out how it could positively affect student
learning styles in order to help my reader understand how new technologies can be integrated
into a school setting to better education. I have chosen to focus my attention specifically on high
school students taking an advanced history class. By working with older students, I ideally have
people more open to this technology and maybe even some experience using it already. I want to
study how incorporating an immersive virtual reality device headset into a lesson can better the
student experience and improve learning.

To help us better understand exactly what immersive virtual reality is, Psotka (1995) describes is
best:

Immersive VR can be defined by its technology and its effects. Its primary effect
is to place a person into a simulated environment that looks and feels to some
degree like the real world. A person in this synthetic environment has a specific
sense of self-location within it, can move her or his head and eyes to explore it,
feels that the space surrounds her or him, and can interact with the objects in it. In
immersive VR, simulated objects appear solid and have an egocentric location
much like real objects in the real world. They can be picked up, examined from
all sides, navigated around, heard, smelled, touched, hefted, and explored in many
sensory ways. (p. 406)

In reviewing the already existing literature, the articles indicate how virtual reality was
implemented into high school science classes and how this impacted learning in a positive way.
While this helps promote the use of this technology, I find this to be limiting the potential of
virtual reality in an educational setting. I want to study the impact of this technology in a
different classroom setting – thus showing that it is not just beneficial in a science classroom.
Research Questions and Hypothesis

I hypothesize the use of virtual reality to have a positive impact on learning in a wide range of
subject areas. Additionally, questions I would like to explore in this research study include the
following:

 Will students, faculty, and parents be accepting of virtual reality technology in a school
setting?
 Will it be easy for a teacher to incorporate this technology into a lesson plan?
 Will there be advantages to using virtual reality versus traditional learning methods?

Literature Review

While the idea of virtual reality in education isn’t a new one, actually incorporating it into a
public school setting is. Previous research articles on the use of virtual reality for educational
purposes are abundant enough, but finding articles specifically directed towards high school
students proved to be a little more challenging. I was, though, able to find a handful that
highlight many of the points I wanted to make in my research study.

Though an older article, Moore (1995) acknowledged the argument that virtual reality is destined
to influence both educational theory and practice. His paper surveys the research into VR and
focuses on the implications of immersive virtual worlds for learning and teaching. Psotka’s
(1995) article reinforces this concept by focusing on immersion as the key added value of VR,
and analyzes what cognitive variables are connected to immersion, how it is generated in
synthetic environments, what immersion is, and what its benefits are. Both researches find that as
advances in this technology are made, the greater its potential in the field of education. Psotka
(1995) concludes that VR needs to be developed as an integral part of the educational and
training process, implemented alongside other traditional and non-traditional tools. To do this,
teachers and trainers need to be exposed to VR in multiple ways so that they can begin preparing
themselves and their institutions for future changes.

Dickey (2005) recognizes that virtual reality is an emerging technology that offers unique
learning opportunities for traditional education. For her study, she looked at Active Worlds
(AW), a 3D virtual world currently being used as a medium for synchronous and asynchronous
distance learning. The system provides educators the ability to construct their 3D environment by
building within an existing world or by creating a new world altogether based on what was being
taught. The focus was to examine how AW was being used for distance learning and to
determine the type of learning experiences afforded by this 3D virtual environment (Dickey,
2005). It was found that this technology offered the potential for both formal and informal
learning as well as facilitating collaboration and community amongst learners.

Lee’s (2014) study aimed to verify the learning effectiveness of a desktop virtual reality-based
learning environment, and to investigate the effects of desktop VR-based learning environment
on learners with different spatial abilities. One group used the virtual technology and the other
used PowerPoint slides. Her findings indicated a significant difference in the performance
achievement between the two groups with students performing better using desktop virtual
reality. The article’s data also showed that virtual reality has the ability to accommodate learners
with different learning styles.

Morales’s (2012) study presented a qualitative case analysis of a new and unique, high school,
student-directed, project-based learning, virtual reality class. In order to create projects, students
learned on an independent basis, how to program an industrial-level virtual reality machine. The
only catch was that students were required to produce at least one educational application of
virtual reality. Findings validated an educational approach that is “rich with promise.” Her article
showed that incorporating virtual reality into learning in high school can have a greater impact
later on. When the study was over, some of the older students went to college specifically for a
degree in computer technology.

Nippert’s (2012) study used a virtual reality simulation that was specifically created for students
to use for preparing their bottle rocket experiments in a physics class. By supplementing the
bottle rocket with a model using virtual reality and a photo-realistic simulation of the launch, it
allowed students to appreciate the optimization problems associated with water and air pressure
and launch angle. The usage data indicated that students easily adapted to the virtual reality
simulation and used the simulation for intuitive experiments on their own to optimize launch
conditions. This article’s data showed that virtual reality technology could be easily taught and
implemented into the incorporating lesson to benefit learning. Students used it to test ideas to
yield a better final project.

Torres’s (2015) article focuses on studying the design and construction of a virtual laboratory
through human interaction information to solve a problem from a virtual science lab. One of their
guiding questions: To what extent can virtual scenarios simulate real situations? The use of the
virtual reality technology in the project allows students to control and interact with the virtual
laboratory without physical contact, through a natural user interface that recognizes gestures,
which are then represented virtually. This class used technology that is already available on the
market today and shows that it can be easily implemented into a classroom. It also explains how
the equipment works to reflect real-life movements and gestures into virtual space.

The purpose of Merchant’s (2014) study was to examine the overall effect as well as the impact
of selected instructional design principles in the context of virtual reality technology-based
instruction in K-12 or higher education settings. Results from her study suggested that games,
simulations, and virtual worlds were effective in improving learning outcome gains. However,
with regards to the virtual world, it was found that if students were repeatedly measured it
deteriorated their learning outcome gains. Because of this, the importance of considering
instructional design principles is discussed when designing virtual reality-based instruction
(Merchant, 2014). This suggests that virtual reality is not a tool that should be overused and
would be more effective tied in with other learning techniques.

Huang’s (2010) article highlights the shift in Web-based learning from a conventional
multimedia to a more immersive, interactive, intuitive and exciting VR learning environment.
Virtual Reality Learning Environments (VRLE) technology simulates the real world through the
application of 3D models that initiates interaction, immersion and triggers the imagination of the
learner. While promoting the potential of virtual reality, Huang (2010) also cautions on its use,
explaining that educators need to understand the challenges of using VR technology for
instruction rather than counting on the novelty of the approach. It is broken down into four main
issues to consider before implementing this technology:

1. The usability of the VR interface design. As with many emerging technologies, VRLEs
may be designed from a functionality point of view rather than ease of use in practical
educational applications.
2. Educators may be challenged by the skill levels required to design a VR course. VR tools
require higher programming skills than traditional 2D tools, and educators may lack
experience in using VR-based course design.
3. A simulated world is not a real world. Learners may have a negative attitude toward
learning in a VRLE since current VRs only approximate reality.
4. The cost effectiveness in the design of a successful VR course. (p. 10)

Potkonjak’s (2016) article introduces the idea of using virtual reality for immersive education. In
other words, a virtual room that students can enter to learn (an example would be if a student
were in a hospital and could not attend school for health reasons). The author’s vision is to
overcome the barriers that still prevent the wide scale implementation of e- and distance-
learning, through the use of virtual worlds, immersive education, and other technologies. The
importance of this article is to show the future of learning as technology continues to advance.
While this could be well into the future, experts are already seeing the potential of immersive
virtual reality in an educational setting.

Research Design

 What data would be collected?

Because I wanted to show that virtual reality could positively impact multiple subject
areas, I have chosen to focus my attention specifically on high school students taking an
advanced history class with the intention to study how incorporating an immersive virtual
reality headset device into a lesson could better the student experience and improve
learning. I would begin by gaining permission from a school to observe my research
design on their advanced history classes. With a larger school, I could expect two to four
of these classes being offered, which will allow for comparison data between the classes.
The age range of student participants would likely range from 15-18 years old. I would
also be collecting feedback from teachers on the ease of use of the technology, as well as
feedback regarding parental concerns from student guardians.

 Which procedures will be followed?

I would begin by first having interviews with the teachers who agreed to issue this study
in their classroom and ask them questions about VR. I would also use this time to show
them how the immersive virtual reality technology works so they can plan their lesson
accordingly. And since the main participants are mostly minors, I will have a permission
form for the teacher to hand out to students to take home and have reviewed and signed
by guardians.
 Once permission is obtained, a field trip will be organized to a history museum. For
student participants who did not want to use the immersive virtual reality headset, they
would attend the actual history museum. For students who did want to participate, a room
will be set up for them at the school to explore the digital virtual tour of the same
museum.

Next, there will be a quiz designed to compare the learning of students who visited the
real museum versus students who explored the digital museum. At the end of the quiz
will be a survey to determine acceptance of virtual reality in the lesson plan. The teachers
involved will also have a follow up interview to clarify the ease of use in the technology
overall as well as providing feedback on any issues they may have encountered. This data
will determine user satisfaction and student perceptions of the physical museum or virtual
reality museum experience to build upon the comparison.

 What questions will be asked for the data?

The initial interview with the teacher would include the following questions:

1. How familiar are you with the concept of virtual reality?

2. Have you ever tested virtual reality or tried it in the school?
3. What are your top concerns regarding virtual reality technology?
4. How sure are you that your IT infrastructure can support virtual reality
technology?

Following the quiz, the follow-up interview for the teacher will include these questions:

1. Do you expect or plan to use virtual reality in the future?

2. What are the major benefits of using virtual reality in education?
3. Were there any issues in the involvement of virtual reality in the lesson?

Students will have similar questions in their survey depending on whether they were with
the group that visited the museum versus the group who explored the digital tour. Each
group will be asked questions about their experience. The students who went to the
museum would then be asked why they preferred to visit the museum in person. Those
who went on the virtual tour would be asked if they thought they gained as much or more
insight from their experience.

 How will the data be analyzed and how will the findings be reported?

To analyze the data, I would be able to make a pie chart to display percentages from the
survey questions showing if students and educators would be accepting of this technology
in the classroom. From the comparison, I would have the quiz to compare and contrast
how much the students took from each learning experience. I would make a line graph
from this data to more easily show how the VR headset either positively or negatively
impacted the students’ education on the covered topic.
Potential Limitations

My research proposal looks at the positive impact virtual reality technology could have in a
school setting. As stated above, previous articles on the use of virtual reality for educational
purposes are abundant enough, but finding ones specifically directed towards the age group I
wanted to study proved to be challenging. With so few references on studies already done using
virtual reality with this age group, it leaves much to be inferred. Another limitation is the fact
that my specific research topic has never been studied before. While a handful of previous
articles do show the incorporation of virtual reality technology in a school setting, they only
show data collected from use in a science classroom. One of my goals was to show that virtual
reality could be beneficial in a wide range of subject areas. I believe that these limitations exist
because virtual reality is just now becoming more mainstream in the public eye. With its
popularity growing and improved technology released, I could see more articles published about
the benefits of this technology in many areas of study in the future.

Research Quality

To ensure the trustworthiness of the research, I have backed up my proposal with relevant peer
reviewed articles on the topic of virtual reality in education. Staying true to the original research
questions, I have included a detailed account of the information I would be collecting and what
would come from that data. The technology I would implement is also safe to use, and would not
cause harm to the subjects. I also recognize that more research would be required from future
studies to further analyze the impact of immersive virtual reality technology in the classroom.

References

Dickey, M. D. (2005). Three‐dimensional virtual worlds and distance learning: two case studies
of Active Worlds as a medium for distance education. British journal of educational
technology, 36(3), 439-451.

How did virtual reality begin. (2016, January 10). Retrieved August 14, 2017, from
https://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality/beginning.html

Huang, H. M., Rauch, U., & Liaw, S. S. (2010). Investigating learners’ attitudes toward virtual
reality learning environments: Based on a constructivist approach. Computers &
Education, 55(3), 1171-1182.

Lee, E., & Wong, K. (2014). Learning with desktop virtual reality: Low spatial ability learners
are more positively affected. Computers & Education, 79(49-58).

Merchant, Z., Goetz, E. T., Cifuentes, L., Keeney-Kennicutt, W., & Davis, T. J. (2014).
Effectiveness of virtual reality-based instruction on students' learning outcomes in K-12
and higher education: A meta-analysis. Computers & Education, 70(29-40).
Moore, P. (1995). Learning and teaching in virtual worlds: Implications of virtual reality for
education. Australian journal of educational technology, 11(2), 91.

Morales, T., Bang, E., & Andre, T. (2012). A one-year case study: Understanding the rich
potential of project-based learning in a virtual reality class for high school
students. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 22(5), 791-806.

Nippert, C. R. (2012). Using virtual reality in K-12 education: A simulation of shooting bottle
rockets for distance. International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy, 2(4), 35-37.

Potkonjak, V., Gardner, M., Callaghan, V., Mattila, P., Guetl, C., Petrović, V. M., & Jovanović,
K. (2016). Virtual laboratories for education in science, technology, and engineering: A
review. Computers & Education, 95(309-327). doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2016.02.002

Psotka, J. (1995). Immersive training systems: Virtual reality and education and
training. Instructional science, 23(5), 405-431.

Torres, F., Tovar, L. N., & Egremy, M. C. (2015). Virtual interactive laboratory applied to high
schools programs. Procedia Computer Science, 75(233-238).
doi:10.1016/j.procs.2015.12.243