Fostering language learners’ multiliteracies: the impact of engaging in reflective experience during VR exhibition tours

The increasing use of multimodal elements for meaning making has necessitated the development of multiliteracies among language learners. In response, this study examined the effects of engaging in reflective practices during Virtual Reality (VR) exhibition tours on language learners’ development of multiliteracies. Data were collected from 52 undergraduate students in Taiwan and New Zealand and included recordings of students’ VR exhibition tours and reflective essays. The recordings were analysed thematically, and the essays were analysed using content analysis. The results showed that the structured reflective experience supported students’ engagement with multimodal meaning making by encouraging interpretation of multimodal representations and critical evaluation of multimodal presentations. These findings highlight the pedagogical potential of integrating reflective experience into VR-based language learning activities and suggest directions for curriculum design that support the development of multiliteracies.