A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
A Scoping Review of Immersive Virtual Reality in STEM Education
Authors: Nikolaos Pellas, Andreas Dengel, Athanasios Christopoulos
Publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Publication year: 2020
Journal: IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies
Journal name in source: IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies
Volume: 13
Issue: 4
Number of pages: 14
ISSN: 1939-1382
eISSN: 1939-1382
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TLT.2020.3019405
Although Virtual Reality (VR) simulation training has gained prominence, review studies to inform instructors and educators on the use of this technology in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are still scarce. This scoping review presents various VR-supported instructional design practices in K-12 (Primary and Secondary) and Higher Education (HE) in terms of participants' characteristics, methodological features, and pedagogical uses in alignment with applications, technological equipment, and instructional design strategies. During the selection and screening process, forty-one (n=41) studies published in the period 2009-2019 were included for a detailed analysis and synthesis. This review's results indicate that many studies were focused on the description and evaluation of the appropriateness or the effectiveness of applied teaching practices with VR support. Several studies pointed out improvements in learning outcomes or achievements, positive perspectives on user experience, and perceived usability. Nevertheless, fewer studies were conducted to measure students' learning performance. The current scoping review aims to encourage instructional designers to develop innovative VR applications or integrate existing approaches in their teaching procedures. It will also inform researchers to conduct further research for an in-depth understanding of the educational benefits of immersive VR applications in STEM fields.