Abstract:

Background and Motivation: Immersive virtual environments are increasingly being explored as interactive media for education; however, their adoption remains limited by accessibility constraints, hardware costs, and the complexity of interactions. This research proposes a web-based immersive environment designed to support early literacy activities, called Sala 360A. Unlike high-end VR systems, it emphasizes democratization through affordable mobile VR solutions, such as low-cost headsets and smartphones. The design follows a “design for all” approach, integrating accessibility features to support diverse learners in playful, low-pressure interactions. The system employs gaze-based interaction, prioritizing simplicity, user comfort, and reduced cognitive load in resource-constrained contexts.

Methodology: The study follows a design-oriented and user-centered process informed by established principles of usability and immersive learning. A formative evaluation was conducted with 20 educators. This participant profile was selected to ensure pedagogical and technical viability before longitudinal testing with children, which would require ethical committee approvals and specific legal authorizations. The research instrument was a questionnaire inspired by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), focusing on Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use through 10 Likert-type items. One of the core tasks evaluated involves the user reading a word displayed on a virtual board and transcribing the corresponding word on a virtual keyboard. Data analysis was performed using Python-based statistical tools to ensure computational rigor. This approach enabled the generation of boxplots with jitter distribution and the calculation of the scale's internal consistency.

Results and Discussion: Quantitative findings indicate high levels of perceived usability, engagement, and pedagogical suitability. Most items received median scores of 5.0, reflecting strong consensus among educators regarding effectiveness. To validate the reliability of the TAM-inspired instrument, Cronbach’s Alpha was calculated. The analysis yielded an excellent internal consistency of 0.903, significantly exceeding the academic threshold of 0.70. This robust coefficient confirms that the 10 items consistently captured the participants' positive perceptions. Qualitatively, educators highlighted the effectiveness of gaze-based interaction in reducing the learning curve. However, the evaluation revealed minor challenges in initial interaction discoverability, suggesting areas for future refinement in affordance clarity. Results suggest that low-cost immersive technology effectively lowers entry barriers for teachers in resource-limited environments.

Conclusion: The formative evaluation of Sala 360A confirmed that accessible immersive environments can be technically robust and pedagogically effective without requiring expensive equipment. The reliability index of 0.903 reinforces the validity of the design choices and evaluation process. This work contributes to educational technology by proving that meaningful immersive experiences are scalable models for inclusive digital transformation. Future research will involve direct testing with students, following ethical protocols, and evaluating the long-term impact on literacy and autonomy.

Keywords:

Immersive Learning, Low-cost Technology, Early Literacy, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Accessibility, Python Data Analysis, Educators.