A Conceptual Learning Design in Virtual Reality–The Cognitive VR Classroom for Education After the Pandemic Era

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has created extraordinary global crises and unprecedented disruption to education. The current situation has become changeable and unpredictable, which may lead to chronic cognitive issues for students who have no access to education. At the same time, the use of virtual reality (VR) technology has emerged as a powerful instrument for re-thinking and enhancing the current educational patterns during the post- pandemic era. However, although ample reviews have summarized developments in VR and education, few studies have synthesized these findings into an integrated learning design. In response to this insufficiency, this study discusses potential solutions for current educational challenges and presents a novel design – the cognitive VR classroom. It is a conceptual design that could enable students to access rich learning resources within an immersive VR system. The design of the cognitive VR Classroom is based on the amalgamation of brain- based learning theory (BBL) and the cognitive-affective model of immersive learning (CAMIL). Further, six extended dimensions of classroom learning were developed to structure the cognitive VR classroom. To examine their validity, a correlation analysis was conducted to present the correlation coefficient and the strength of the association. The result shows that the cognitive VR classroom is a promising theoretical framework to facilitate educational diversity and a powerful model to develop smart classroom learning. KEYWORDS: The Covid-19 Pandemic, Virtual Reality, Cognitive Education, Classroom Learning