Abstract:

Student-centred constructivist learning environments have become necessary to inculcate learning skills vital in the 21st century. Furthermore, the ability to understand problems and provide solutions is vital to excelling in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. The use of problem-solving approaches cause learners to become more engaged in their learning process and have a more positive outlook toward STEM courses. The overall issue surrounding teaching and learning is that while learners today can access content from various sources through ICT, much of the content is still passive and text/video based on 2D display. Hence the level of interaction and visualisation is limited. Certain content requires more immersive interaction and visualisation to truly comprehend the concepts and experience the learning content.

Many universities are exploring how Virtual Reality (VR) can enhance their students’ learning experiences. The advancement of VR technology in the last decade has greatly improved visualisation and user interaction. It has become more appealing to the younger generations for learning STEM, which has been on the decline in Malaysia for many years. Many studies have found that learning becomes more exciting and engaging than the conventional method of learning. By stimulating the learners’ motivation and interest in the content, they can Improve their understanding of the concepts. Moreover, participating in immersive activities will consequently provide them with the active experience required for longer-lasting mastery of content.

This initial and ongoing study was to elicit the students’ attitudes and perceptions of using VR in their learning process. A VR application entitled Merlin’s Playground: VR Permata Dunia was developed and given to a cohort of undergraduate engineering students learning electromagnetism. This was the students’ first time using a VR application as part of their course to help them visualise the various equations, concepts, and physics laws to understand the importance of electromagnetism for telecommunications. The application contained several problem-solving activities in which the students had to interact in an immersive environment.

A mixed-method research design was used on a small convenient sample of learners to obtain their learning experience in the digital world. A 5-point Likert scale was used to measure their attitudes in the virtual learning environment based on several constructs including learning, motivation, interaction, visualisation, and ease of use. Also, open-ended questions were administrated to them to garner feedback on their learning experiences.

The results found that the students felt they were able to better understand electromagnetism as well as become more motivated to learn about the content. The results also showed that they were able to better visualise the equations and the physics than teaching them the conventional way, making the learning experience enjoyable.

By using VR, it enabled the learners to better visualize and interact with the content as they have never done before. Thus, the study was a preamble to the upcoming Metaverse, and it provided good insights into students’ learning experiences in this virtual world.

Keywords:

Virtual Reality, Visualisation, Interaction, STEM, Metaverse, Virtual Worlds.