Effects of coloured feedback in virtual reality on drumming performance and cognitive load

Immersive virtual reality (IVR) increasingly offers opportunities for developing innovative educational resources in varied contexts, including music learning. This study enhances the field of computer-assisted musical instrument tutoring systems by comparing the effects of two types of real-time feedback settings on the performance and cognitive load of novice drumming learners, using a value-added research approach. Participants ( n = 50) were randomly assigned to either the positive-only ( n = 24) or mixed feedback conditions ( n = 26). They underwent a training session in the IVR scenario, followed by a questionnaire and post-test, including an IVR assessment and a real-life performance evaluation. Results during the training phase indicated that participants in the positive-only condition achieved better performance outcomes and experienced less cognitive load. Similarly, post-test results suggested that feedback type significantly influenced learning outcomes. However, additional analysis indicated that students may perceive feedback as intuitive or motivating when well aligned with their expectations, musical understanding or previous experience. Further research on adaptive feedback and longitudinal studies is recommended to corroborate the long-term effectiveness of these technology-enhanced training scenarios.