You are here:

NCAC: Research & Solutions: Curriculum: Enhancements Literature Review: Virtual Reality/Simulations

Virtual Reality/Simulations Report

Prepared by Roxanne Ruzic and Kathy O'Connell

d

Simulations and virtual reality both allow students to experience a real life situation in an artificial environment. Simulations are activities that can be conducted in person or on a computer. In a person-based simulation, students might set up a class store or lemonade stand as a way of learning about money and the factors that influence supply and demand. Using computer-based simulation software, students might create and manage all aspects of planning and running a city.

Virtual reality is a special technology-usually a special computer system-that allows students to explore an artificial environment through computer-created sensory stimuli. In a virtual reality environment, such as landing a plane or dissecting a frog, students interact with the environment and experience the results of their actions in real time.

Evidence of effectiveness

Only a limited number of research studies have been published on the use of virtual reality or simulations for school curriculum (we identified five, two of which reviewed multiple studies). Those studies we did locate found virtual reality and simulations to have a positive effect on student learning, either in a particular content area or overall. The one study that looked at a population of students with learning disabilities reported the greatest gains for the students based on the use of virtual reality/simulations.

The studies we reviewed examined the use of virtual reality and simulations by students at elementary and middle school levels. Research was conducted in a number of content areas including math, science, and language arts.

The small number of studies evaluating the use of virtual reality and simulations make any conclusions about the usefulness of these teaching tools from a research perspective extremely preliminary. Still, early evidence suggests that these new tools have at least some positive effects on student learning, including learning for populations of students with learning disabilities.

Virtual Reality/Simulations Data Tables

To download documents:

• Windows users: Right click the link to the document and choose Save Target As... from the popup menu.
• Mac users: Control-click the link to the document and choose Download Link to Disk from the popup menu.

Click here for data tables for this report, PDF format  Click here for data tables for this report, Microsoft Word format

PDF: In order to download or print PDF versions of documents, you need to have Acrobat Reader installed. If you don't have Acrobat Reader installed, download the Acrobat Installer from Adobe's Acrobat web page and then install the Acrobat Reader before continuing.

Virtual Reality/Simulations References

Bonk, C. J., Hay, K. E., & Fischler, R. B. (1996). Five key resources for an electronic community of elementary student weather forecasters. Journal of Computing in Childhood Education, 7(1-2), 93-118.

Gersten, R. (1998). Recent advances in instructional research for students with learning disabilities: An overview. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 13(3), 162-170.

Lewis, E. L., Stern, J. L., & Linn, M. C. (1993). The effect of computer simulations on introductory thermodynamics understanding. Educational Technology, 33(1), 45-58.

Liao, Y. C. (1998). Effects of hypermedia versus traditional instruction on students' achievement: A meta-analysis. Journal of Research in Computing in Education, 30(4), 341-359.

Park, J. C. (1993). Time studies of fourth graders generating alternative solutions in a decision-making task using models and computer simulations. Journal of Computing in Childhood Education, 4(1), 57-76.