Exploring the role of emotions and immersive virtual reality in environmental science education

Abstract

In the Anthropocene era, human-induced climate change has become an urgent global concern, leading to extreme weather events such as tropical cyclones, heatwaves, heavy rainfall, and droughts. In response to these ecological threats, it is understandable for younger generations to be overwhelmed with climate anxiety (Hickman et al., 2021), or even feel powerless and incapable to address the issue (Baldwin et al., 2022; Hickman et al., 2021; Pfautsch and Gray, 2017). Virtual Reality (VR) could be a promising tool to empower youngsters to tackle climate change. However, prior reviews (Hamilton et al., 2021; Radianti et al., 2020) revealed that many VR educational studies lack the consideration of learning theories while designing VR learning applications.

To address this issue, two studies were conducted: Study 1 featured a systematic review to explore the incorporation of learning theories in VR design to optimize students’ learning gains, while Study 2 investigated the effects of learning media (VR vs 2D) and emotional message frames (hope appeal vs fear appeal) on students’ emotions and efficacies to tackle climate change, using a video designed based on design principles derived in Study 1.

Study 1 was a review that aimed to study how IVR instructions should be best designed using learning theories as a basis. By synthesizing educational studies that used learning theories in the design of VR learning applications, IVR-based lessons, and IVR educational researches (n = 29), this review revealed that students’ learning performances could be promoted by: 1) offering learners with high levels of autonomy over their IVR learning experiences, 2) lowering cognitive loads imposed by IVR, 3) integrating learners’ characteristics into the design of IVR applications, and 4) adding reflective tasks to IVR-based lessons. Details of these theoretically informed lesson designs would also be discussed in this thesis. With the hope of providing useful theoretically informed pedagogical suggestions for future educators, eight design principles were proposed to help facilitate the transition to IVR lessons and improve the design of IVR learning applications and lessons.

Study 2 was a mixed-methods study that examined the impacts of emotional message frames (hope appeal vs. fear appeal) and learning media (VR vs. 2D) on students' emotions, perceived efficacies, and behavioral intentions regarding climate change. Quantitative results showed that emotional message frames, rather than learning media, primarily contributed to students' emotional arousal and efficacy. Hope-appeal videos led to significantly higher self-efficacy and collective efficacy than fear-appeal videos, and yet no significant difference in response efficacy was found between hope appeal and fear appeal. Qualitative findings revealed that students focused on actions that could be done to tackle climate change in hope-appeal videos and the negative consequences of climate change in fear-appeal videos. The findings provide insights into designing effective environmental messages for youths and suggest that hope appeal may be more effective in motivating action against climate change.