Exploring the pedagogy of immersive virtual reality (IVR) in higher education: defining a framework for holistic IVR praxis

While interest in immersive virtual reality (IVR) has led to the development of courses and purpose-built labs at universities worldwide, existing research reveals a need for a more robust pedagogical understanding of how the technology can be meaningfully integrated into education contexts. The literature calls for the development of a holistic IVR framework with strong pedagogical underpinnings - one that emphasizes affective and higher-order thinking skills and that is relevant for guiding both learning and assessment. To explore this research gap, this study synthesized the literature to outline a pedagogically grounded model of IVR praxis, resulting in the Pedagogy of Immersive Experiencing in Virtual Realities (PIX-VR) framework. Next, a phenomenological study was conducted to explore and analyze graduate students’ lived experiences of IVR within an education course. Three core findings emerged: (1) students expressed mixed perceptions and sentiments toward IVR use in education, characterized by a shared culture of optimism and cautious experimentation, but mediated by concerns for both physical and digital health, safety, and ethical use; (2) students identified a complex interplay of pedagogies and learning constructs that characterizes learning in IVR, including constructivism, experiential learning, and game-based learning; and (3) avatars emerged as the central lens through which students understood the relationship between theory and lived experience (i.e., praxis) in IVR, with personalization identified as key dimension of avatar use. These findings informed the iterative refinement of the PIX-VR framework, which is proposed as a pedagogically-grounded, holistic model for guiding learners and facilitators in IVR-based learning contexts in higher education.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Grantor

University of Ontario Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Jovanovic, Philip C.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Kay, Robin

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10155/2086

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ontariotechu.scholaris.ca:10155/2086