The effects of immersiveness and future VR expectations on subjec-tive-experiences during an educational 360° video

Abstract

Virtual reality may potentially create immersive experiences compelling people to believe they are physically present in a virtual space. This may augment learning by increasing interest in the learning content. However, not all technology is equal. Current devices range from limited devices to next generation technology. At the extremes, devices may distract users from learning content by presenting a sub-optimal learning experience which may be affected by expectations of VR. Participants viewed a 360-degree educational video with the goal of learning as much as possible. Each participant used one of three devices: a smartphone, Google Card-board, or Oculus Rift DK2. Overall, more immersive devices induced greater feelings of presence. However, we failed to support the sub-optimal experience hypothesis. We also found that greater expectations and reported feelings of presence led to less information recalled during the simulation, potentially indicating the novelty of VR experiences may overwhelm learners.