Affordances of Virtual Reality for Collaborative Learning

Virtual reality (VR) technology has a promising probability to create collaborative learning experiences for contemporary educational settings. Although the advancement of VR technology expands collaborative learning, the related research regarding virtual reality-based collaborative learning (VRCL) is still limited. The systematic analysis of the function and the extent to which VR influences the collaborative learning environment is unclear. Therefore, in order to evaluate the affordances of VR technology for collaborative learning, we conduct a meta-analysis based on literature review. Also, to explore its potential learning benefits, a qualitative analysis is performed on VRCL prototype. Results show that VRCL achieved variable and positive effects, with a mean effect size 0.41; the affordances of VR for collaborative learning can be categorized into social interaction, resource sharing, and knowledge construction.