Exploring Effect of Level of Storytelling Richness on Science Learning in Interactive and Immersive Virtual Reality

Abstract

Immersive and interactive storytelling in virtual reality (VR) is an emerging creative practice that has been thriving in recent years. Educational applications using immersive VR storytelling to explain complex science concepts have very promising pedagogical benefts because on the one hand, storytelling breaks down the complexity of science concepts by bridging them to people’s everyday experiences and familiar cognitive models, and on the other hand, the learning process is further reinforced through rich interactivity aforded by the VR experiences. However, it is unclear how diferent amounts of storytelling in an interactive VR storytelling experience may afect learning outcomes due to a paucity of literature on educational VR storytelling research. This preliminary study aims to add to the literature through an exploration of variations in the designs of essential storytelling elements in educational VR storytelling experiences and their impact on the learning of complex immunology concepts.