Promoting Constructive Learning Through Authentic Experiences and Critical Reflection: Needs for Conversing Virtual Reality and Learning Analytics

• In Event: Making Constructivist Learning Feasible: Exploring Convergence of Virtual Reality and Learning Analytics for Future Research Directions

Abstract

Constructing meaningful knowledge through authentic learning experiences and critical reflection is the core of constructivism (Jonassen, 1994). Situated learning theory emphasizes that knowledge construction processes and cognitive activities in learning settings should occur in similar ways through which the experts are engaged in real-world settings (Collins, Brown, & Holum, 1991).

The recent rapid advancement of computer technology makes immersive Virtual Reality (VR) experiences affordable (e.g., oculus equipment). VR is considered a promising technology offering authentic experiences through simulated realism (EDUCAUSE, 2020, Suh & Prophet, 2018). It is proven to promote motivation (Kavanagh et al., 2017), embodied experiences (Tham et al., 2018), empathy (Calvert & Abadia, 2020), and learning outcomes (Luo et al., 2021). Importantly, repeated practices on authentic cognitive and physical performances in safer virtual environments are core benefits of VR, which have made VR adopted by a variety of training and educational programs, including safety education. Two VR learning cases are identified to show the effectiveness of VR on learning while addressing the needs for virtual learning analytics.

Case 1: Closing the knowledge-and-action gap in virtual reality
Luo et al. (2020, 2021a) implemented a VR child pedestrian program to improve the child pedestrian's safety behaviors. While the participants’ knowledge of traffic safety behaviors is relatively high, the actual behaviors performed in the VR-based pre-test showed low safety levels, demonstrating significant knowledge-and-action gaps. According to each participant’s VR pre-test performance, a one-on-one cognitive debriefing session was facilitated by a debriefer to elicit participants’ decision-making processes and promote any necessary changes in their decision-making process before the VR-based post-test. The students’ safety behaviors in the post-test significantly improved from the pre-test. One-on-one debriefing is the core factor in improving participants’ safety behavior by promoting critical thinking on their own virtual experiences. While showing effectiveness in closing the knowledge-and-action gap in pedestrian safety behaviors, the challenge faced in practice is the feasibility of individualized debriefing sessions in the classroom setting. The teachers may not have enough time and resources to conduct labor-intensive debriefing sessions effectively - observing individual students’ VR behaviors and offering individualized debriefing sessions.

Case 2: Performance and anxiety trad-off in virtual reality
Similarly, Choi et al. (in progress) designed and implemented a VR public speaking program to improve students’ public speaking performance and reduce speech anxiety. Participants prepared their presentation slides using Microsoft PowerPoint software, which was loaded into VR before their presentation. In the VR program, participants practice their presentations in front of larger audiences. The program significantly improved performance and reduced anxiety among the participants through repeated practices. Yet, the absence of constructive feedback on individual students' performance limits the potential of learning opportunities.

Promoting reflective thinking after authentic experiences is critical in VR-based authentic learning, yet providing individualized feedback to elicit students' critical reflection is a labor-intensive daunting task. The distribution of the human debriefers’ role in VR-based learning through learning analytics and data mining technology is necessary to make the authentic experience-and-critical reflection cycles possible.

Author

• Ikseon Choi, Emory University
  Presenting Author