Effects of Immersion and Presence on Learning Outcomes in Immersive Educational Virtual Environments for Computer Science Education
type: CreativeWork
description: Abstract concepts and ideas from Computer Science Education can benefit from immersive visualizations that can be provided in virtual environments. This thesis explores the effects of the key characteristics of virtual environments, immersion and presence, on learning outcomes in Educational Virtual Environments for learning Computer Science. Immersion is a quantifiable description of the technology to immerse the user into the virtual environment; presence describes the subjective feeling of 'being there'. While technological immersion can be seen as a strong predictor for presence, motivational traits, cognition, and the emotional state of the user also influence presence. A possible localization of these technological and person-specific variables in Helmke's pedagogical supply-use framework is introduced as the Educational Framework for Immersive Learning (EFiL). Presence is emphasized as a central criterion influencing immersive learning processes. The EFiL provides an educational understanding of immersive learning as learning activities initiated by a mediated or medially enriched environment that evokes a sense of presence. The idea of Computer Science Unplugged is pursued by using Virtual Reality technology in order to provide interactive virtual learning experiences that can be accurately displayed, schematizing, substantiating, or metaphorical. For exploring the effects of virtual environment characteristics on learning, the idea of Computer Science Replugged focuses 'hands-on' activities and combines them with immersive technology. By providing a perception of non-mediation, Computer Science Replugged might enable experiences that can contribute additional possibilities to the real activity or enable new activities for teaching Computer Science. Three game-based Educational Virtual Environments were developed as treatments: 'Bill's Computer Workshop' introduces the components of a computer; 'Fluxi's Cryptic Potions' uses a metaphor to teach asymmetric en…
abstract: Abstract concepts and ideas from Computer Science Education can benefit from immersive visualizations that can be provided in virtual environments. This thesis explores the effects of the key characteristics of virtual environments, immersion and presence, on learning outcomes in Educational Virtual Environments for learning Computer Science. Immersion is a quantifiable description of the technology to immerse the user into the virtual environment; presence describes the subjective feeling of 'being there'. While technological immersion can be seen as a strong predictor for presence, motivational traits, cognition, and the emotional state of the user also influence presence. A possible localization of these technological and person-specific variables in Helmke's pedagogical supply-use framework is introduced as the Educational Framework for Immersive Learning (EFiL). Presence is emphasized as a central criterion influencing immersive learning processes. The EFiL provides an educational understanding of immersive learning as learning activities initiated by a mediated or medially enriched environment that evokes a sense of presence. The idea of Computer Science Unplugged is pursued by using Virtual Reality technology in order to provide interactive virtual learning experiences that can be accurately displayed, schematizing, substantiating, or metaphorical. For exploring the effects of virtual environment characteristics on learning, the idea of Computer Science Replugged focuses 'hands-on' activities and combines them with immersive technology. By providing a perception of non-mediation, Computer Science Replugged might enable experiences that can contribute additional possibilities to the real activity or enable new activities for teaching Computer Science. Three game-based Educational Virtual Environments were developed as treatments: 'Bill's Computer Workshop' introduces the components of a computer; 'Fluxi's Cryptic Potions' uses a metaphor to teach asymmetric en…
author: Dengel, Andreas
keywords: Virtual Reality, Supply-Use-Model, Immersion, Presence, Computer Science Education
date published: 2020-08-21
date modified: 2026-07-24T03:45:06Z
provider: Universität Passau
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Universität Passau