Learning with Immersive Virtual Reality: An Exploratory Study of Chinese College Nursing Students

Abstract

As an emerging technology, virtual reality (VR) is now being used in education, particularly with STEM-related learning. However, as with all pedagogical innovation, there is a lack of empirical research on the application of VR in situations where students are using it with their second language (L2) and existing studies generally rely on the use of non-immersive VR tools. This paper is one step in a process of understanding the affordances and constraints of a fully immersive VR system in facilitating language learning for English as a foreign language (EFL) nurses. The results of a small-scale study suggested that learners appreciated the different features of VR, which enhanced the integration of virtuality, reality, and mentality. In addition, mediating factors of this VR learning experience were discussed based on the data set. Informed by the current findings, the paper puts forward suggestions for designing VR-supported language learning, which hopefully sheds some light on the complex nature of the effective use of VR in learning.