Immersive learning is a learning method which

student A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution. In the United Kingdom and most commonwealth countries, a "student" attends a secondary school or higher (e.g., college or university); those in primary or elementa ...

s being immersed into a

virtual Virtual may refer to: * Virtual (horse), a thoroughbred racehorse * Virtual channel, a channel designation which differs from that of the actual radio channel (or range of frequencies) on which the signal travels * Virtual function, a programming ...

dialogue, the feeling of

presence Presence may refer to: Technology * Presence (sound recording), also known as room tone * Presence (amplification), used in four band equalisation * Presence (telepresence), the scientific and technological field * Immersion (virtual reality ...

is used as an evidence of getting immersed. The

dialogue can be created by two ways, the usage of virtual technics, and the

narrative A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether nonfictional ( memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travelogue, etc.) or fictional (fairy tale, fable, legend, thriller Thriller may r ...

like reading a book. The motivations of using

virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), e ...

(VR) for teaching contain: learning efficiency, time problems, physical inaccessibility, limits due to a dangerous situation and

ethical Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of morality, right and wrong action (philosophy), behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, alo ...

problems.

Types of immersive learning

Technical aspect

Most of the immersive learning activities are supported by virtual tools including

augmented reality Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience that combines the real world and computer-generated content. The content can span multiple sensory Modality (human–computer interaction), modalities, including visual, Hearing, auditory, hap ...

(AR),

(VR), and

virtual learning environment A virtual learning environment (VLE) in educational technology is a web-based platform for the digital aspects of courses of study, usually within educational institutions. They present resources, activities, and interactions within a course stru ...

(VLE). Immersive VR here specifically refers to the occasions where participants feel "being there" in a virtual place. For educational purpose, the most mentioned virtual projects include

Second Life ''Second Life'' is an online multimedia platform that allows people to create an avatar for themselves and then interact with other users and user created content within a multi player online virtual world. Developed and owned by the San Fra ...

CAVE A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

VR system, AET Zone are being used in a wide range of disciplines. Among all the technical tools supporting immersive learning, the

, which defined as a room-like environment with projection screens is well discussed. The

was first studied by the University of Illinois's Electronic Visualization Lab in 1992, which allows huge screens to involve a large number of audiences. Sherman and Craig define

as a theater-like VR venue, which is visually created by computer-generated imagery. Most of the

s today contain 3-6 walls (including ceiling and floor), shaped as a cube or cylinder. It is supported with multisensory channels for human-content interaction, mainly

visual The visual system comprises the sensory organ (the eye) and parts of the central nervous system (the retina containing photoreceptor cells, the optic nerve, the optic tract and the visual cortex) which gives organisms the sense of sight ...

, also produces other

sensory Sensory may refer to: Biology * Sensory ecology, how organisms obtain information about their environment * Sensory neuron, nerve cell responsible for transmitting information about external stimuli * Sensory perception, the process of acquiri ...

engagements such as

tactile Tactile may refer to: * Tactile, related to the sense of touch * Haptics (disambiguation) * Tactile (device), a text-to-braille translation device See also * Tangibility, in law * Somatosensory system In physiology, the somatosensory system ...

audio Audio most commonly refers to sound, as it is transmitted in signal form. It may also refer to: Sound *Audio signal, an electrical representation of sound *Audio frequency, a frequency in the audio spectrum * Digital audio, representation of soun ...

and

smell Smell may refer to; * Odor, airborne molecules perceived as a scent or aroma * Sense of smell, the scent also known scientifically as olfaction * "Smells" (''Bottom''), an episode of ''Bottom'' * The Smell, a music venue in Los Angeles, Californ ...

. At this stage,

and spatial

appear to be the most-used combination to achieve a certain level of

immersion Immersion may refer to: The arts * "Immersion", a 2012 story by Aliette de Bodard * ''Immersion'', a French comic book series by Léo Quievreux * ''Immersion'' (album), the third album by Australian group Pendulum * ''Immersion'' (film), a 2021 ...

Cognitive aspect

The term ''textual immersion'' is used to describe this kind of

cognitive Cognition refers to "the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses". It encompasses all aspects of intellectual functions and processes such as: perception, attention, thought ...

, as everyone has the so-called daydream, to image themselves actually being in the story and become the

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...

. This phenomenon is described as getting lost, involved, or drawn into a story, by

imagination Imagination is the production or simulation of novel objects, sensations, and ideas in the mind without any immediate input of the senses. Stefan Szczelkun characterises it as the forming of experiences in one's mind, which can be re-creations o ...

or other media engagement such as literature and film. Immersion is also considered by Murray as an

experience Experience refers to conscious events in general, more specifically to perceptions, or to the practical knowledge and familiarity that is produced by these conscious processes. Understood as a conscious event in the widest sense, experience invol ...

that create a more than

reality Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, r ...

world, which is structured by the audience's own

cognition Cognition refers to "the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses". It encompasses all aspects of intellectual functions and processes such as: perception, attention, thoug ...

. Also, within Ryan's book, the

immersion created by

is categorized into three kinds: spatial immersion, temporal immersion and emotional immersion.

Sensory Sensory may refer to: Biology * Sensory ecology, how organisms obtain information about their environment * Sensory neuron, nerve cell responsible for transmitting information about external stimuli * Sensory perception, the process of acquiri ...

simulation A simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time. Simulations require the use of models; the model represents the key characteristics or behaviors of the selected system or process, whereas the ...

s play an essential role to achieve mental

, with the combination of primary and secondary senses. The audio engagement within visual stories is welcomed as a way to achieve presence (telepresence), as music helps to arouse emotional factors such as happiness and anger, peacefulness and intense.

Areas of applications

For educational purposes, VR starts to engage as a teaching tool to convey knowledge in an immersive way. It takes the advantage from the characteristics belongs to VR such as engaging and entertaining, to teach

art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...

geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, a ...

and

zoology Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and ...

. Among the purposes of learning, the educational theories vary from constructivist, constructionist, and

situated {{dictionary In artificial intelligence and cognitive science, the term situated refers to an agent which is embedded in an environment. The term ''situated'' is commonly used to refer to robots, but some researchers argue that software agents ca ...

. All the three types of learning are well served by VR, as it supports a wide range of free exploration and

construction Construction is a general term meaning the art and science of forming Physical object, objects, systems, or organizations."Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University P ...

. In general, VR could also improve knowledge retention and student motivation.

Skill training

Skill training here refers to the training with a certain level of professional

skill A skill is the learned ability to act with determined results with good execution often within a given amount of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills. For example, in the domain of w ...

s for adults. Immersive learning supports the simulation of being in a dangerous or unusual environment, as a safe and effective way for training employees. For forklift truck training, the research team built an immersive CAVE-based VR to simulates the accidents. For the operator training, some plant scenarios such as routine operations and emergency response can be trained within the same CAVE-like space, it also allows multi-players to do the

teamwork Teamwork is the collaborative effort of a group to achieve a common goal or to complete a task in the most effective and efficient way. This concept is seen within the greater framework of a team, which is a group of interdependent individu ...

Medication

Immersive learning usually appears to simulate the accident which need immediate medical support, including

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which m ...

and syncope. Practical studies can be found both in universities and medication agencies, in 3D stereo anatomy teaching, an immersive environment to learn

anatomy Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having its ...

is built for medical students. Instead of the boring 2D textbook, students are allowed to move the real human parts modelling with a monitor, the visual display also allow zoom-in to browse more details. Further related studies could be found in several research agencies including Harvardmedsim, Autism Treatment and Healthy Simulation.

Art and design

The needs of teaching

and

design A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design'' ...

ask for a lower level of real-scene simulation, but a higher demand of emotional context and

atmosphere An atmosphere () is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. ...

. Virtual technics could benefit the teaching and learning activity as it provides essential support for exploration-based learning.

Art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

exploration, which transforms the static art to dynamic art, see VR as a

media Media may refer to: Communication * Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass el ...

of expression, also as an open place allow discussion and teamwork. Particularly, studies could be found in the area of innovative teaching to use VR as the tool.

Effectiveness of learning

The effectiveness of immersive learning appears in several ways: * The realistic simulation of

real-life Real life is a phrase used originally in literature to distinguish between the real world and fictional, virtual or idealized worlds, and in acting to distinguish between actors and the characters they portray. It has become a popular term on the ...

scenes to help with the

emergency An emergency is an urgent, unexpected, and usually dangerous situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or environment and requires immediate action. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening ...

or unusual situations. * To simplify the complex contexts and enhance learning effectiveness. * Add playful and

exploration Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians. Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...

al contents compared with a flat 2D learning activity. * To encourage

conceptual thinking Philosophical analysis is any of various techniques, typically used by philosophers in the analytic tradition, in order to "break down" (i.e. analyze) philosophical issues. Arguably the most prominent of these techniques is the analysis of concep ...

, especially for

and

. * To reduce the

noise Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference aris ...

from surrounded environment and social conflict. The immersive learning activity has a high level of compatibility, to allow complex teaching tasks including

role-playing Role-playing or roleplaying is the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role. While the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' offers a definition of role-playing as ...

, free-exploration,

and after-course evaluation. In some occasions like

medication A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field an ...

and skill training, physical tool engagements are also functional to better simulate a real scene, such as use patient models in

first aid First aid is the first and immediate assistance given to any person with either a minor or serious illness or injury, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, or to promote recovery. It includes initial in ...

period.

Online immersive tools

Narrative website

Narrative A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether nonfictional ( memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travelogue, etc.) or fictional (fairy tale, fable, legend, thriller Thriller may r ...

website is one of the typical online tools to support immersive learning. It usually appears in the area of

visual storytelling A visual narrative (also visual storytelling) is a story told primarily through the use of visual media. The story may be told using still photography, illustration, or video, and can be enhanced with graphics, music, voice and other audio. Overv ...

, display page of exhibition and historical websites. The storytelling is well-designed to answer the needs of information

dissemination To disseminate (from lat. ''disseminare'' "scattering seeds"), in the field of communication, is to broadcast a message to the public without direct feedback from the audience. Meaning Dissemination takes on the theory of the traditional view ...

and emotional resonance, usually with the support of

and dynamic design. For such use case, the Openlearn virtualized a story to enhance the user's sense of substitution by making choices, the Awge simulated a platform of game boy to get visitors immersed. And the Active Theory produces a controllable 3D modeling which could interact with the mouse.

Interactive video

Within immersive learning,

interactive video The term interactive video usually refers to a technique used to blend interaction and linear film or video. History In 1962, Steve Russell, a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), created Spacewar!, the world's first inter ...

usually remains as an instrument to make one website or platform interactive and fun. Under some educational purpose, interactive video could function as increasing learning interest and reducing the learning costs. Through clicking and dragging, the interactive video splits complex tasks into small and simple operations, the logic between small tasks is usually build through

. Typical examples could be found within the interactive video which introduce Virus, and the art study in

Nexus studios Nexus Studios is an animation, film and interactive studio based in London and LA. It was founded in 2000 by Charlotte Bavasso and Christopher O'Reilly. Creating a range of both handcrafted and high-tech work, Nexus Studios has a team of product ...