Assessing Adult Learning Through Immersive Virtual Reality Technology

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) as an emerging technology has extreme potential to revolutionize online higher education for adult students through immersive and engaging learning experiences. Lower cost and advancing research in VR technology and immersive simulation software offers unique opportunities for adult students to engage in a virtual learning metaverse classroom as part of an online course curriculum. As technology tools, like VR, in education are reimagined for the classroom, curriculum design and delivery must also be reimagined to address the needs of a growing population of adult learning students studying in college programs. Understanding learning outcomes specific to adults using emerging technology is key to understanding how emerging technology can integrate into higher education curriculum delivery and design. Utilizing a constructivist theoretical framework and a quantitative research design, this study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of VR for adult student learning academic achievement.

Like most technology teaching tools, effective VR classroom experiences require deep consideration into the design and delivery of curriculum. This study utilized an andragogy framework to develop curriculum specifically for an adult student population. Concurrently, a whole-part-whole learning approach to deliver the study’s biology curriculum studying the animal cell and describing the translation and transcription of DNA to mRNA was instituted. This dissertation seeks to remedy gaps in research where curriculum is delivered through a VR experience but without proper curriculum designed specifically for the adult learner. Also, this study informs the research by presenting a well-designed and engaging adult student learning experience in a VR metaverse classroom using a live synchronous VR instructor.