Differences Between Experiencing a Virtual Laboratory With a Virtual Reality Headset or a Laptop
Loading...
Access rights
openAccess
CC BY
CC BY
publishedVersion
URL
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä
This publication is imported from Aalto University research portal.
View publication in the Research portal (opens in new window)
View/Open full text file from the Research portal (opens in new window)
View publication in the Research portal (opens in new window)
View/Open full text file from the Research portal (opens in new window)
Unless otherwise stated, all rights belong to the author. You may download, display and print this publication for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Date
Major/Subject
Mcode
Degree programme
Language
en
Pages
13
Series
Computer Applications in Engineering Education, Volume 33, issue 3
Abstract
Different technical implementations have been proposed for virtual laboratories, some of which include the use immersive virtual reality (VR) environments experienced through head-mounted displays. The benefits and challenges of VR headsets have been previously studied in other contexts, but no research has been done in the context of virtual laboratories. In this explorative study, we compared the user experiences between completing a virtual laboratory experience with a VR headset or with a laptop screen to see if the VR headset has any negative or positive effects for virtual laboratory education. It was found that users experienced increased immersion, feeling of being in the laboratory, and spent more time in the virtual laboratory training when using a VR headset. Users also reported that they preferred a VR headset over a laptop experience, although they affirmed that the long-term use of a VR headset is exhausting. The VR headset was not found to affect already high learning motivation, feeling of how gamified the experience felt, or the perceived challenges of the learning tasks. Despite the increased immersion and other positive findings for VR headsets, the current findings are not yet sufficient to conclude that these factors necessarily affect the learning results in virtual laboratories. Further research about the topic is required for more conclusive effects on increased learning outcomes.Description
Publisher Copyright: © 2025 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Other note
Citation
Viitaharju, P, Linnera, J, Nieminen, M, Yliniemi, K & Karttunen, A J 2025, 'Differences Between Experiencing a Virtual Laboratory With a Virtual Reality Headset or a Laptop', Computer Applications in Engineering Education, vol. 33, no. 3, e70043. https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.70043