An Immersive Virtual Reality Game Designed to Promote Learning Engagement and Flow

Abstract

An immersive game-based Virtual Reality (iVR) module for secondary students to learn about locations in their watershed with a primary focus on their city was designed and developed. A design model and associated theory that focuses on elements that lead to engagement and learning with iVR gamebased experiences is described. A series of design principles that were used in the iVR environment are discussed. The iVR game was implemented in an urban school in the eastern USA with 54 economically disadvantaged adolescents ages 16-18 who typically are unengaged in traditional school-based learning environments. After game completion, the participants completed a 10-item survey measuring elements of flow and a 12-item survey designed to measure attitudes toward learning with VR games, immersion and presence. The findings revealed that all students experienced a flow state when they played the VR learning game. Almost all users (98.1%) had positive attitudes towards using the VR game. Student responses noted that they experienced high immersion and presence. In addition, students responded with favorable attitudes towards learning with iVR games in school environments.