Virtual Reality Dance Practices: The Pedagogical Potential of Using Immersive Learning Environments for Developing Emotional Intelligence

Developing emotional intelligence (EI) in higher education requires innovative pedagogical approaches supported by objective assessment methods. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an immersive virtual reality (VR) dance intervention for enhancing EI among Chinese university students by integrating motion analysis, physiological measurements, and computational modeling. A randomized controlled trial involving 145 participants was conducted over an eight-week intervention period. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: immersive VR dance training using head-mounted displays, two-dimensional (2D) screen-based dance instruction, or a control group receiving no practical training. Emotional intelligence was assessed using the Mayer–Salovey–Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) before the intervention, immediately afterward, and at a four-week follow-up. Motion kinematics, physiological indicators, and computational analyses were integrated to evaluate learning outcomes. In addition, an exploratory algorithmic personalization approach adapted the training protocol to individual participant characteristics. Participants in the VR group demonstrated an average improvement of 18.5 MSCEIT points (Cohen’s d = 1.68) together with a 34.2% increase in movement amplitude. Improvements in the 2D group were substantially smaller (7.3 points; d = 0.51), while the control group showed only minimal gains (2.1 points). The exploratory personalization analysis suggested an additional 23% improvement in intervention effectiveness. At the four-week follow-up, participants retained 76.2% of the acquired gains.