Investigating the effect of teaching as a generative learning strategy when learning through desktop and immersive VR: A media and methods experiment

Abstract Immersive virtual reality (IVR) simulations for education have been found to increase affective outcomes compared to traditional media, but the effects on learning are mixed. As reflection has previously shown to enhance learning in traditional media, we investigated the efficacy of appropriate reflection exercises for IVR. In a 2 × 2 mixed‐methods experiment, 89 (61 female) undergraduate biochemistry students learned about the electron transport chain through desktop virtual reality (DVR) and IVR (media conditions). Approximately, half of each group engaged in a subsequent generative learning strategy (GLS) of teaching in pairs (method conditions). A significant interaction between media and methods illustrated that the GLS of teaching significantly improved transfer ( d = 1.26), retention ( d = 0.60) and self‐efficacy ( d = 0.82) when learning through IVR, but not DVR. In the second part of the study, students switched media conditions and the experiment was repeated. This time, significant main effects favoring the IVR group on the outcomes of intrinsic motivation ( d = 0.16), perceived enjoyment ( d = 0.94) and presence ( d = 1.29) were observed, indicating that students preferred IVR after having experienced both media conditions. The results support the view that methods enable media that affect learning and that the GLS of teaching is specifically relevant for IVR. Practitioner Notes What is already known about this topic Previous research has found a media effect with Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) in education leading to better motivational outcomes compared to less immersive media, but effects on learning outcomes are mixed. There is evidence that Generative Learning Strategies (GLSs) such as summarizing and enacting can increase learning in IVR. There is also evidence that some instructional methods, such as pretraining, may be beneficial for learning in IVR. What this paper adds Evidence that the GLS of teaching improves self‐efficacy, retention and transfer in educational IVR. An interaction effect between media (DVR/IVR) and method (GLS/no‐GLS) on self‐efficacy, retention and transfer supporting the theoretical view that method enables media. No difference in perceived enjoyment, motivation and presence for students who were new to learning through these media (DVR/IVR), but differences became significant when students learned through the other media first with students preferring IVR. Implications for practice and/or policy Since IVR learning experiences can be highly engaging and also cognitively demanding, it is beneficial to introduce reflection exercises after an IVR learning experience to ensure that students reflect over the material and integrate it with their long‐term memory. One effective solution is to engage students in the GLS of teaching after an IVR simulation, thereby prompting them to select relevant information, organize it into a coherent structure and elaborate on it by incorporating it with their existing knowledge.