A VR Playground for Learning Abstract Mathematics Concepts

Immersive virtual reality (VR) has attracted the attention of many researchers and educators who predicted that VR would considerably affect how learning and teaching are conducted. The research presented here aims to investigate how an interactive immersive virtual learning environment affects conceptual learning, specifically learning of fractions in mathematics. A virtual environment (VE) designed to simulate a playground was created and evaluated through empirical studies with 60 primary school students between the ages of 8 and 12. Results suggest that children who fully interacted with the VE were able to problem-solve but that there was no strong evidence of the expected conceptual change. Rather, it was the passive VR environment, where a virtual robot guided activity, that seemed to support student reflection and recall, leading to indications of sustained conceptual change.

Interactivity: A Catchall Term

Interactivity is a defining component of VR. In the context of VEs, interactivity is the process through which users can have a first-person experience and explore, act upon, control, and even modify the environment. The plethoric development of interactive VEs for rapid prototyping, industrial design, and training, to name just a few domains, and the evolution of VE interfaces indicate interactivity's appeal. Moreover, the proliferation of projection-based immersive systems in public spaces, such as museums and entertainment settings, and the growing sophistication of home gaming systems are evidence that interactivity is a core attraction of the virtual experience. In all these contexts, interactivity is promoted widely for its effectiveness, motivational impact, and significance for learning, yet little systematic research exists to prove this.