Beyond Visuals and Audio: The Role of Olfactory Feedback in Enhancing Immersive Learning Experiences and Reducing Cognitive Load

Immersive virtual reality (IVR) technology has shown its potential in education. Nonetheless, previous IVR applications have primarily focused on visual and auditory simulations, neglecting olfaction, which has limited the authenticity of the experience. Therefore, we conducted an experimental study with 64 students to investigate the effects of adding olfactory feedback to IVR on fire safety learning. The results showed that olfactory feedback significantly reduced cognitive load, elicited high-arousal positive emotions, and enhanced presence. However, it had no significant effect on learning performance. These findings have important theoretical and practical implications for the integration of multisensory stimulation with virtual environments.