Investigating the Impact of Learners’ Time Allocation in Immersive Simulation-Based Learning Environments

With the increasing use of virtual simulated environments and immersive technologies in STEM education and workforce training, it is becoming increasingly important to study and understand how learners’ interactions and navigation in virtual environments affect their learning and skill development. In this paper, we quantify and assess the effect of learners’ navigation in an immersive simulated environment on learning outcomes, where navigation is characterized by the total time spent in the simulation and time allocations to different areas within the virtual environment. We implement a set of immersive simulation-based learning (ISBL) modules in an undergraduate computer science course with eighteen students and record their screen as they navigate in the simulation environment to perform the tasks needed to complete the ISBL assignments. We use a video analytics tool to process and analyze the videos and collect statistics related to a set of navigation-related measures for each student. We also use surveys to collect data on students’ demographics, prior knowledge and experience, personality, experiential learning, and self-assessment of learning. We then perform a set of multivariable regression analyses to characterize and explain the relationship between navigation measures and constructs assessed via survey instruments to determine how/if users’ navigation in the simulated environment can be a predictor of their learning outcomes. The results indicate that the total time spent in the simulation and the distribution of time allocations among different areas within the simulated environment are predictors of experiential learning and students’ self-assessment of learning.

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Work Title Investigating the Impact of Learners’ Time Allocation in Immersive Simulation-Based Learning Environments
Access
Open Access
Creators
  1. Mahgol Nowparvar
  2. Noah Soriano
  3. Sabahattin Ozden
  4. Parhum Delgoshaei
  5. Omar Ashour
  6. Ashkan Negahban
Keyword
  1. simulation-based learning
  2. immersive technologies
  3. human-computer interaction
  4. video analytics
License CC BY 4.0 (Attribution)
Work Type Article
Acknowledgments
  1. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 2000599. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. The preliminary stages of this work were supported by funds from the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost at The Pennsylvania State University as part of the university’s strategic seed grant program related to transforming education. We would also like to thank Aung Nay Htet Oo, an undergraduate researcher at Penn State University, who assisted in the development of the ISBL modules and associated simulation models used in this paper.
Publisher
  1. TEMPUS Publications
Publication Date July 29, 2024
Related URLs
Deposited August 12, 2024

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Version 1
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  • Created
  • Updated
  • Updated Publisher, Description, Publication Date Show Changes
    Publisher
    • TEMPUS Publications
    Description
    • With the increasing use of virtual simulated environments and immersive technologies in STEM education and workforce training, it is becoming increasingly important to study and understand how learners’ interactions and navigation in virtual environments affect their learning and skill development. In this paper, we quantify and assess the effect of learners’ navigation in an immersive simulated environment on learning outcomes, where navigation is characterized by the total time spent in the simulation and time allocations to different areas within the virtual environment. We implement a set of immersive simulation-based learning (ISBL) modules in an undergraduate computer science course with eighteen students and record their screen as they navigate in the simulation environment to perform the tasks needed to complete the ISBL assignments. We use a video analytics tool to process and analyze the videos and collect statistics related to a set of navigation-related measures for each student. We also use surveys to collect data on students’ demographics, prior knowledge and experience, personality, experiential learning, and self-assessment of learning. We then perform a set of multivariable regression analyses to characterize and explain the relationship between navigation measures and constructs assessed via survey instruments to determine how/if users’ navigation in the simulated environment can be a predictor of their learning outcomes. The results indicate that the total time spent in the simulation and the distribution of time allocations among different areas within the simulated environment are predictors of experiential learning and students’ self-assessment of learning.
    Publication Date
    • 2024
  • Updated Acknowledgments Show Changes
    Acknowledgments
    • This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 2000599. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. The preliminary stages of this work were supported by funds from the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost at The Pennsylvania State University as part of the university’s strategic seed grant program related to transforming education. We would also like to thank Aung Nay Htet Oo, an undergraduate researcher at Penn State University, who assisted in the development of the ISBL modules and associated simulation models used in this paper.
  • Added Creator Mahgol Nowparvar
  • Added Creator Noah Soriano
  • Added Creator Sabahattin Ozden
  • Added Creator Parhum Delgoshaei
  • Added Creator Omar Ashour
  • Added Creator Ashkan Negahban
  • Added Revised Submission_IJEE_Not Blind.pdf
  • Updated License Show Changes
    License
    • https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
  • Published
  • Updated
  • Updated Keyword Show Changes
    Keyword
    • simulation-based learning, immersive technologies, human-computer interaction, video analytics
  • Updated Related URLs, Publication Date Show Changes
    Related URLs
    • https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10527670-investigating-impact-learners-time-allocation-immersive-simulation-based-learning-environments
    Publication Date
    • 2024
    • 2024-07-29