Evidence for embodied cognition in immersive virtual environments using a second language learning environment

Immersive virtual environments (IVEs) are increasingly being explored as potential educational tools. However, it is unclear which aspects of IVEs contribute to learning, including hardware modalities and learner responses (e.g. motivation, usability, cognitive load and presence). One IVE hardware modality particularly backed by theory is embodied controls, with their potential for leveraging embodied cognition for enhanced learning outcomes. This paper explores if embodied controls can be leveraged to enhance learning in an IVE by comparing language learning outcomes from an IVE using embodied controls, and a non-embodied control. It explores two words classes - verbs and nouns - to examine if there is a difference in learning outcome for embodied controls with actions (verbs) and object interactions (nouns). This paper also explores co-variables often linked with IVE learning (motivation, presence, cognitive load) to understand why learning gain occurs. It finds that leveraging embodied controls provides better learning outcomes, with no impact on cognitive load. It also finds that the benefit does not correlate with motivation or presence ratings, suggesting that embodiment-induced motivation or immersion is not the cause of the learning enhancements, and therefore this could be evidence for embodied cognition-based learning in IVEs.

I. Introduction

Technological advances have seen an increase in the use of immersive virtual environments (IVEs) for educational purposes. A majority of research on these IVEs has focused on IVE design, or comparisons between IVE learning system efficacy and a real-world alternative [1]. This has left a large gap in literature: examinations of which aspects of IVEs contribute to learning; the extent that combinations of these contribute to or detract from learning outcomes; and what causes them to have an impact.