A Learning Analytics Theoretical Framework for STEM Education Virtual Reality Applications

While virtual reality has attracted educators’ interest by providing new opportunities to the learning process and assessment in different science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects, the results from previous studies indicate that there is still much work to be done when large data collection and analysis is considered. At the same time, learning analytics emerged with the promise to revolutionise the traditional practices by introducing new ways to systematically assess and improve the effectiveness of instruction. However, the collection of ‘big’ educational data is mostly associated with web-based platforms (i.e., learning management systems) as they offer direct access to students’ data with minimal effort. Thence, in the context of this work, we present a four-dimensional theoretical framework for virtual reality-supported instruction and propose a set of structural elements that can be utilised in conjunction with a learning analytics prototype system. The outcomes of this work are expected to support practitioners on how to maximise the potential of their interventions and provide further inspiration for the development of new ones.