Effect of immersion on students' test performance, achievement emotions, and intrinsic motivation

Abstract

Despite the growing interest in the educational applications of virtual reality, there is limited research available that specifically examines the effectiveness of virtual reality for learning. While virtual reality has been recognized as a beneficial technology for education, there is a need to explore and understand the impact of immersion on various learning outcomes. This study investigates the effect of immersion on test performance, achievement emotions and intrinsic motivation by comparing a high immersion group (VR) to a low immersion group (desktop simulation). The participants were 38 university students. The instruments included achievement emotions questionnaire, intrinsic motivation inventory, and knowledge test. Multiple linear regression analyses and non-parametric tests were performed for the data analyses. The results showed that immersion increases intrinsic motivation and positive emotions and decreases negative emotions. There was no statistically significant effect on test performance. We conclude that high immersive learning environments positively impact student motivation and emotions, but do not significantly affect test performance. Integrating virtual reality in education enhances students’ intrinsic motivation and positive emotions but considering cognitive load and instructional design principles is crucial for optimal learning outcomes. Virtual reality technology can be used as a supplementary tool to boost student motivation and emotional well-being.