Embodying nature in virtual reality generates different presence levels and learning outcomes

Climate change is one of the greatest challenge people face in the 21
^st
century. Teaching about it is difficult because its consequences are not directly tangible. Currently, immersive virtual reality (IVR) is expected as an effective educational technology emphasizing the personal relevance of climate change. The aim of this study is to test this expectation by examining the effects of the IVR experience The Shape of Us (TSOU) on sustainability-related attitudes and behavior change. The study applied an evaluative research approach with a pretest posttest design. Participants were 15 male and 16 female students (mean age = 14.94 years, SD = 0.51) from a secondary school in Switzerland. The results show that after experiencing TSOU sustainability-related attitudes and behavior intention were not significantly greater than before the experience. However, the IVR experience generated different presence levels among the students with implications for learning outcomes. Students with higher presence level reported significantly higher sustainability-related attitudes and behavior intention compared to the students with lower presence level. Implications of the findings for theories on immersive learning and the design of IVR applications intended for climate change education are discussed.