A TEFL Virtual Reality System for High-Presence Distance Learning

VR technologies can be effective for distance learning. However, currently available virtual reality systems for teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) are limited: they are often a supplementary experience within a traditional classroom or do not offer a high level of student-teacher interaction. This research considers an HMD-based platform with two linked subsystems to address these issues. The first is a series of high-presence learning scenarios with roles played by the student(s) and teacher through avatars. The second is an interactive web portal within the VR environment that allows for learning, testing, and feedback. In order to assess the potential of this proposed system, student learning outcomes and ease of use are evaluated through preliminary testing, and this research also posits a more comprehensive system for managing longer-term courses.

[1]  Gerrit Lochmann,et al.  VR-Based Gamification of Communication Training and Oral Examination in a Second Language , 2016, Int. J. Game Based Learn..

[2]  M. Patton.  Qualitative research & evaluation methods , 2002 .

[3]  G. Cooper,et al.  Using virtual reality in the classroom: preservice teachers’ perceptions of its use as a teaching and learning tool , 2019, Educational Media International.

[4]  P. Anderson,et al.  Virtual reality exposure therapy for social anxiety disorder: a randomized controlled trial. , 2013, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[5]  Fengfeng Ke,et al.  OpenSim-Supported Virtual Learning Environment , 2016 .

[6]  Jacalyn E. Bryan,et al.  Assessment in the One-Shot Session: Using Pre- and Post-tests to Measure Innovative Instructional Strategies among First-Year Students , 2013, Coll. Res. Libr..

[7]  Mostafa Janebi Enayat,et al.  Exploiting adventure video games for second language vocabulary recall: a mixed-methods study , 2019 .

[8]  Maryam Sadat Mirzaei,et al.  Language learning through conversation envisioning in virtual reality: a sociocultural approach , 2018, Future-proof CALL: language learning as exploration and encounters – short papers from EUROCALL 2018.

[9]  Gürkan Yildirim,et al.  The Effect of VR and Traditional Videos on Learner Retention and Decision Making. , 2019 .

[10]  H. Reinders,et al.  AUGMENTED AND VIRTUAL REALITY IN THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM: PRACTICAL IDEAS , 2018 .

[11]  Chris Dede,et al.  Introduction to Virtual Reality in Education , 2010 .

[12]  Robert Levine,et al.  First-Person Point-of-View–Augmented Reality for Central Line Insertion Training: A Usability and Feasibility Study , 2016, Simulation in healthcare : journal of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare.

[13]  Mihaela Vorvoreanu,et al.  A Pilot Study Exploring Augmented Reality to Increase Motivation of Chinese College Students Learning English , 2014 .

[14]  Regina Kaplan Rakowski,et al.  Students' Attitudes toward High-Immersion Virtual Reality Assisted Language Learning. , 2018 .

[15]  Michael Vallance,et al.  Measuring Reduction Methods for VR Sickness in Virtual Environments , 2017, Int. J. Virtual Pers. Learn. Environ..

[16]  Tom Page,et al.  INNOVATION EDUCATION ENABLED THROUGH A COLLABORATIVE VIRTUAL REALITY LEARNING ENVIRONMENT , 2006 .

[17]  Kuo-Yu Liu.  The MORPG-based Learning System for Multiple Courses: A Case Study on Computer Science Curriculum , 2015, Int. J. Distance Educ. Technol..

[18]  Richard F. Burton,et al.  Quantifying the Effects of Chance in Multiple Choice and True/False Tests: Question selection and guessing of answers , 2001 .

[19]  Tom Gorham,et al.  Assessing the Efficacy of VR for Foreign Language Learning Using Multimodal Learning Analytics. , 2019 .