Listening to scientists in immersive videos: How levels of immersion and points of view influence learning experiences

Viewing scientific learning videos with head-mounted displays (HMDs) can facilitate authentic experiences that may otherwise be impossible to access in the real world, thereby potentially improving the way science content can be learned and how science and scientists are perceived. The rise in popularity of these immersive learning videos has prompted a need for a more profound comprehension of their presentation and design concerning their impact on user experience and learning. This lab study investigates how the reception of scientific learning videos is influenced by the level of immersion (LOI) using an HMD (conventional 2D video versus stereoscopic 360° video) and the point of view (POV) from which the presenting scientist is filmed (frontal versus lateral view). Participants (N = 78 university students) reported higher immersion, social and spatial presence, user engagement, parasocial interactions, situational interest, and more positive epistemically-related emotions after viewing the 360° videos. A frontal perspective on the presenting scientist led to higher experienced immersion, social and spatial presence, parasocial interactions, and situational interest than a lateral perspective. Additionally, when controlling for participants’ self-concept, a frontal perspective yielded better performances on learning retention tasks. Moreover, the eye-tracking analysis demonstrated that participants fixated longer on the presenting scientist when viewing her from a frontal rather than a lateral perspective. Regarding the perceived trustworthiness of the scientist, no differences were found between the conditions. These results imply that immersive learning videos presented in 360° and with a frontal perspective toward a lecturer can promote the reception of scientific content.