Evaluation of Animation and Lip-Sync of Avatars, and User Interaction in Immersive Virtual Reality Learning Environments

Virtual Reality (VR) has been showing potential in new and diverse areas, notably in education. However, there is a lack of studies in the Foreign Language Teaching and Learning field, particularly in listening comprehension. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of avatar animations and lip synchronization, and user interaction; features deemed relevant in this broader area. A sociodemographic, a quick CEFR - Common European Framework of Reference for Languages - 15-minute English test, and questionnaire were used to evaluate the participants' Presence, Quality of Experience, Cybersickness and Knowledge Retention. Results show that, overall, the use of avatars with realistic animations and movements, and featuring lip synchronization have a positive influence on the users' sense of presence, knowledge retention and a more enjoyable overall quality of experience. The same can be said for the use of object interaction and navigation in the cultural representative environment, which had an overall positive impact.