{"id":{"repo_id":"mit","oai_identifier":"oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/127661"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mit/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/127661","repository":{"repo_id":"mit","name":"MIT","base_url":"https://dspace.mit.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Creators, classrooms, and cells : designing for the benefits and limitations of learning in immersive virtual reality","abstract":"In the last few years, the perception of virtual reality (VR) has shifted from an entertaining novelty to an increasingly mainstream technological medium. However, the methods of creating and assessing high-fidelity immersive VR for learning remain nascent. With the growing demands for change in the 21st-century American education system, it is increasingly important for designers and developers to approach the topic of VR for K-12 learning thoughtfully yet critically. This thesis grounds VR within the greater context of technology-mediated learning by examining its affordances, relevant educational frameworks, and cognitive limitations through the academic lenses of pedagogy, cognitive science, and educational psychology. It then utilizes a case study, the CLEVR project, to trace an in-depth example of an ongoing VR game through user feedback, data analysis, and iterative game design. Ultimately, I use findings generated from the CLEVR project to develop recommendations for designing and integrating VR into K-12 classrooms, with the hopes of informing current and future designers about balancing VR's affordances with learning outcomes in order to develop successful immersive learning experiences.","abstract_html":"In the last few years, the perception of virtual reality (VR) has shifted from an entertaining novelty to an increasingly mainstream technological medium. However, the methods of creating and assessing high-fidelity immersive VR for learning remain nascent. With the growing demands for change in the 21st-century American education system, it is increasingly important for designers and developers to approach the topic of VR for K-12 learning thoughtfully yet critically. This thesis grounds VR within the greater context of technology-mediated learning by examining its affordances, relevant educational frameworks, and cognitive limitations through the academic lenses of pedagogy, cognitive science, and educational psychology. It then utilizes a case study, the CLEVR project, to trace an in-depth example of an ongoing VR game through user feedback, data analysis, and iterative game design. Ultimately, I use findings generated from the CLEVR project to develop recommendations for designing and integrating VR into K-12 classrooms, with the hopes of informing current and future designers about balancing VR's affordances with learning outcomes in order to develop successful immersive learning experiences.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Wang, Annie"],"institution":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology","degree_name":"Master","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Comparative Media Studies","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Eric Klopfer."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2020,"date_issued":"2020","date_published":"2020","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:42Z","subjects":["Comparative Media Studies."],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["MIT theses may be protected by copyright. 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However, the methods of creating and assessing high-fidelity immersive VR for learning remain nascent. With the growing demands for change in the 21st-century American education system, it is increasingly important for designers and developers to approach the topic of VR for K-12 learning thoughtfully yet critically. This thesis grounds VR within the greater context of technology-mediated learning by examining its affordances, relevant educational frameworks, and cognitive limitations through the academic lenses of pedagogy, cognitive science, and educational psychology. It then utilizes a case study, the CLEVR project, to trace an in-depth example of an ongoing VR game through user feedback, data analysis, and iterative game design. Ultimately, I use findings generated from the CLEVR project to develop recommendations for designing and integrating VR into K-12 classrooms, with the hopes of informing current and future designers about balancing VR's affordances with learning outcomes in order to develop successful immersive learning experiences."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["S.M. in Comparative Media Studies"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Creators, classrooms, and cells : designing for the benefits and limitations of learning in immersive virtual reality"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Eric Klopfer."],"dc:contributor.department":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Comparative Media Studies","CMS","MIT Comparative Media Studies/Writing"],"dc:contributor.other":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 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This thesis grounds VR within the greater context of technology-mediated learning by examining its affordances, relevant educational frameworks, and cognitive limitations through the academic lenses of pedagogy, cognitive science, and educational psychology. It then utilizes a case study, the CLEVR project, to trace an in-depth example of an ongoing VR game through user feedback, data analysis, and iterative game design. 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