Immersive devices, such as virtual reality (VR) devices are swiftly being integrated into military and civil operations as advanced tools for training, with studies observing the beneficial aspects of employing these devices for training cognitive skills (Xie et al., 2021). However, further research is needed to understand specific characteristics of the learning effectiveness of the technology, and to identify which levels of immersion benefit specific learning constructs in training. This study examined the effect of immersion on four constructs related to learning, including memory retention, learner engagement, learning performance in the form of knowledge acquisition, and perceived learning in a virtual maintenance training task. The study aimed to determine how these constructs are impacted by two different levels of immersion during a virtual maintenance training task by means of either (a) a desktop computer and keyboard; Low-immersion Virtual Reality (LiVR) or (b) a virtual reality headset and controllers; High-immersion Virtual Reality (HiVR). To achieve this, a between-subjects experimental design was employed with 25 participants completing a maintenance training task on a simulator developed in collaboration with the Air Force Research Lab’s (AFRLs) Gaming Research Integration for Learning Laboratory (GRILL). A memory retention quiz, the User Engagement Scale (UES) short-form, A pre-post knowledge assessment, and the Cognitive, Affective and Psychomotor (CAP) Perceived Learning Scale were administered to capture the dependent variable learning constructs, with level of immersion acting as the independent variable. Results revealed that both immersive testbeds enhanced participants' knowledge acquisition and that engagement was significantly higher in the HiVR condition. Trends were also observed with respect to the impact that immersion had on participant’s memory retention. The findings can help to inform the procedural training community on the benefits of immersive devices with respect to virtual environment training for hands-on spatial tasks.
Keywords
AUGMENTED AND VIRTUAL REALITY (AR/VR),IMMERSIVE,MACHINE LEARNING,TRAINING
Additional Keywords
Maintenance, Education