Investigating Students' Motivation and Cultural Heritage Learning in a Gamified Versus Non-gamified VR Environment

Abstract

This empirical study investigated how the use of a gamified versus a non-gamified Virtual Reality (VR) learning environment impacted student motivation and learning outcomes in the context of a virtual visit at a cultural heritage site. For this purpose, we adopted an experimental research design to analyse the experience of 46 undergraduate university students; 23 of them used a gamified version of the VR learning environment, while 23 of them used the same VR environment without the gamification elements. Data were collected using pre and post learning assessments, motivation questionnaires, as well as individual semistructured interviews. The data analyses showed that students who experienced the gamified VR learning environment had greater learning gains and perceived competence, as compared to their counterparts who used the VR environment without the gamification elements. The findings of this research contribute to the principled design of VR environments to optimize students’ knowledge acquisition and learning experience.