How Does the Virtual Reality work on Science Education: An Exploratory Study of Emotional Effects on Learning

As an undergraduate student, STEM learning, especially in subjects such as electrical and electronic engineering, are very difficult. It was not until the junior year when the professor introduced virtual reality to the classroom lecturing for the course Electromagnetic Fields and Waves as an experimental part of a study on engineering education and it was discovered that more innovative possibilities for learning in engineering and science with novel approaches. Existing research has demonstrated that the use of VR in teaching and learning can enhance the motivation and assessment performance of students. Nonetheless, the mechanisms of VR's impact on learning are not yet clear. In particular, whether the impact of VR on science education comes partly from the sensorial novelty and whether this effect is sustainable. Due to student concentration problem, this study aims to explore the sustainability of using VR in engineering and science education, and seeks to fill the research gap regarding the impact of VR technologies on the learning experience in the field of science and engineering. This study, consisting of three sessions VR science learning interventions, was conducted by using a mixed-methods approach to obtain quantitative and qualitative data. Firstly, quantitative data for this study was obtained from questionnaires and interviews were conducted after the questionnaires were collected. A semi-structured interview method was used to understand students' experiences of the use of VR in teaching and learning. This study found that motivation and engagement play a key mediating role in the application of VR to learning. Individuals' interest and motivation in learning is significantly increased by novelty in the initial stages of the VR learning experience, and interestingly the novelty effect does not necessarily decline in vain in subsequent stages of learning as students become familiar with the novelty.