Influence of the Learning Medium on the Information Retention

Even before the resurgence of Virtual Reality (VR), immersive learning environments were considered viable e-learning opportunities. Yet, there is still no clarity on the long-term success of these approaches. We examine the short- and long-term learning outcomes between a textbook, a video, and a comparable VR environment. To determine this, the effects of the three technologies on learning outcomes were measured in an experiment immediately afterwards and a number of days later following the experiment. VR had higher self-reported and measured knowledge gains immediately after the experiment, as well as higher motivation. In the long term, video outcomes lagged behind the other media. Our results suggest that VR can transfer knowledge better than other learning environments in the long term, but user self-assessment does not reflect this.

To investigate this question, we conducted a lab experiment: Using VR on a Meta Quest HMD, a video on a laptop, and a common illustrated text. We chose a setup where participants could experience only one of the materials, and measured both knowledge gain and motivation in the short and long term. Because a lack of subject-specific knowledge is necessary to generate knowledge gain, we chose a biological learning content. The availability of high-quality content as the basis for our learning material was also a factor. In addition, it is an insight that is not common in reality due to the microscopic perspective, which made it well suited for a VR scenario.