EPISODE 2 - RICHARD LAMB

“Virtual Reality Laboratories: A Way Forward for Schools?”

EPISODE 2

Richard Lamb

Richard lamb is currently director of the Neurocognition Science Laboratory at East Carolina University and serves as an associate professor in East Carolina University's department of Special Education, Foundations, and Research.

Direct link to episode research paper

Direct link to the Neurocognition Science Lab at ECU

Direct link to Richard's Google Scholar page

Direct link to Richard’s ResearchGate page

Direct link to Richard’s LinkedIn profile

Direct link to Richard’s Twitter profile

In this episode, Kristian speaks with Richard Lamb about the present barriers that exist to immersive content learning adoption for science education in a large university system. In this particular study, Richard and his team replaced a hands-on science laboratory (physical learning environment) with a Virtual Reality science laboratory (virtual learning environment) for the duration of a full semester course involving 12 faculty and 285 student participants.

RESEARCH PAPER EXTRACTS

“Several studies have probed technologies related to VR and its effect on science education regarding (a) conceptual change (b) laboratory work, (c) science inquiry-based learning (d) scientific argumentation, and (e) spatial ability. The results of these studies are mostly limited to illustrating learners’ attitudes related to VR (e.g., satisfaction or perceived usefulness), and only hint at possible improvement in student outcomes related to skill development and content.”

“This study also illuminates means and methods that teachers or instructors can use to improve VR use in classrooms as an integrated classroom technology. The study specifically examines authentic VR experiences that allow students to engage in science practices such as scientific investigations and data collection in immersive simulated environments.”

“Within the framework of construction of understanding in science, the focus of VR is on the learner’s control of the learning processes. Therefore, EVR designs should attempt to tie knowledge as a discrete concept to real-life experiences and authentic tasks. A constructivist understanding, as it applies through VR, provides learners more freedom to select and coordinate their learning processes with other learners. As Kutlu suggested, constructivists emphasize the design of learning environments rather than instructional sequences. The learning environments should provide real-world, case-based environments for meaningful and authentic knowledge construction. In the case of science, experiences should provide means and opportunities to examine questions, claims, and evidence.”

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