From the Perspective of Educational Equity: Can Virtual Reality Videos Improve Students’ Empathy?

• In Event: Virtual Poster Session
  In Virtual iPresentation Only: SIG-Social and Emotional Learning Virtual Poster Session

Abstract

Empathy is crucial for students and watching virtual reality (VR) videos can promote their empathy. Educational equity is the key theme of education. The study recruited 90 university students and developed an educational equity course to explore the effects on students’ empathy for educational equity. It was found that watching VR videos, compared to flat-screen videos and texts, had a greater impact on their empathic concern for educational equity. Specifically, they focused more on the disparities in teacher quality and educational resources between urban and rural areas. Besides, discomfort reduced their empathic concern while watching VR videos. Finally, universalism and power values significantly impacted empathy, and there were interaction effects between values and media intervention on empathy.

Authors

• Chengze Zeng, Peking University

• Yifan Zhao, University College London - IOE

• Bian Wu, East China Normal University