Abstract:

The use of virtual reality (VR) is increasingly important in higher education, especially in technology- and experience-based learning formats. Previous research indicates that immersive learning environments increase emotional activation and lead to higher engagement through a stronger sense of presence. When these teaching formats are didactically designed, they foster deep learning. In application-oriented disciplines such as tourism, VR makes content experiential and accessible. It allows for complete immersion in foreign environments or embeds abstract theoretical concepts in context-rich learning environments.

In tourism, VR is primarily used in destination marketing and experience design. Empirical studies show that immersion can increase emotional perception, perceived authenticity, and the so-called awe experience, which can be measured using validated instruments such as the Awe Experience Scale. These elements influence the evaluation of tourist supply and travel intention. Despite this knowledge, there is limited evidence of teaching projects in higher education that systematically integrate VR into teaching and involve students in a research-oriented learning process.

Building on this background, a research-based teaching project was implemented in the summer semester 2025 as part of a tourism marketing seminar at a University of Applied Sciences in Germany. The aim of the project was not only to use immersive technologies as a teaching medium, but also to actively involve students in the development, testing, and presentation of their own theory-driven hypotheses. Prior to the experimental phase, students were required to formulate hypotheses based on current literature on VR effects in tourism.

The core of the project was a comparative experiment in which traditional two-dimensional tourism videos were compared with immersive three-dimensional VR experiences. The videos were presented using an Apple Vision Pro and a Meta Quest 3. During the seminar sessions, students experienced the videos firsthand and distributed standardized questionnaires to the participants. The students assumed different roles within the research process, including moderation, observation, data collection, and interviewing.

The quantitative data analysis was conducted several weeks after the experimental sessions, allowing students to reflect on the research design and subsequently evaluate their hypotheses based on the collected data. Subjective perceptions of tourist destinations were measured using standardized questionnaires capturing immersion, emotional involvement, presence, and usability. In addition, physiological data in the form of heart rate measurements were collected to objectively capture emotional activation and to triangulate subjective assessments.

This methodological approach provided a practice-oriented introduction to empirical research methods and fostered students’ analytical, reflexive, and methodological competencies. The paper discusses the project as an example of research-oriented teaching development at the intersection of higher education, digital innovation, and tourism research. In addition to initial insights into the effects of immersive media, the focus lies on didactic implications, challenges, and transferable design principles for the use of VR as a research-based learning tool in higher education.

Keywords:

Virtual Reality, Research-Based Teaching, Tourism Higher Education.