Abstract:

Introduction:
We are 120 participants (students at the University of Rhode Island) presenting the results of an online learning device that we developed in the course of ordering, organizing, and transmitting knowledge among ourselves. We present deep mental involvement that takes viewers to realistic learning situations (social imaginaries) without constraints of reality: logistics, risks, real-time and little right to fail. In 10 +1 steps, our paper presents the outcome of three participants, interacting and experiencing Immersive Learning in a digital environment.

Objective:
To develop a heuristic device that enables participants to discover or learn something for themselves. Examples that employ heuristics include using trial and error, a rule of thumb, an educated guess, an intuitive judgment, a guesstimate, profiling, or common sense. In their initial research, Tversky and Kahneman proposed three heuristics—availability, representativeness, and anchoring and adjustment. Subsequent work has identified many more.

Methodology:
Reflexive interpretation is built around a multi-layered, flexible structure of interpretation and reflection in which the systematic interplay of reflections are central. Whenever we reflected, we thought about the premises for our thoughts, our observations and our use of language. The core of reflection (reflexivity) is "the way we construct ourselves socially while also constructing ‘internet things' out there. For without construction, and without a constructing and constructed self, there can be no meaning.”

Results:
1. The way we attend to meaning changed.
2. Enabling experimentation and “learning by doing.”
3. Encouraging playfulness and theatrics.
4. Interpretation rather than the Representation of 'performative text' became central.
5. Participants repeated and re-entered learning spaces, creating a self-generating reality.

Conclusion:
Immersive Learning is still emerging as a practice in the workforce, but it is clear that given the broad range of employee-training services, understanding heuristics of 'augmented reality’ and ‘extended reality’ technology will be critical to every enterprise in the future.

References:
[1] Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases by Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman in "Judgment and Decision Making, An Interdisciplinary Reader," Second Edition, Edited by Terry Connoly, Hal R. Arkes, and Kenneth R. Hammond, Cambridge University Press, 2000 (p.35)
[2] Learning as immersive experiences: Using the four-dimensional framework for designing and evaluating immersive learning experiences in a virtual world by
Sara de Freitas, Genaro Rebolledo-Mendez, Fotis Liarokapis, George Magoulas and Alexandra Poulovassilis, British Journal of Educational Technology, Vol 41 No 1 2010 (p.69-85)
[3] Reflexive Methodology, New Vistas for Qualitative Research by Mats Alvesson and Kaj Skoldberg, Sage Publications, 2001 (p.24-247)
[4] Personal narrative, performance, performativity: Two or three things I know for sure by Kristin M. Langellier, Pages 125-144 Published online: 05 Jun 2009, Journal of Text and Performativity, Vol 19, 1999-Issue 2.

Keywords:

Immersive Learning, Heuristics, Virtual Reality, Performative Text.