Work-in-Progress—GeoForge: Integrating Virtual Reality and a Personalized Website to Foster Collaboration in Middle School Science

Virtual reality (VR) has the potential to foster collaborative science learning, but guidelines for designing in this medium are lacking. This work-in-progress paper explores this gap in the literature through analysis of GeoForge, a multiple-player VR/digital learning experience where users collaboratively explore planetary systems. A mixed-methods study at 3 middle schools used teacher interviews, student survey responses, and student work to examine how GeoForge encouraged information exchange and reflection within small student groups. Our findings indicate students shared ideas and resources, engaged in co-construction, and teachers recognized high student engagement throughout the experience.