The research was performed with a pool of 40 high school students evenly distributed to account for gender and prior academic achievement (above average, average, and below average) among the VR group and the traditional education group.
The classes were taught by the same teacher to control for all factors. The study uncovered strong evidence of improved performance when VR-based teaching methods were used to supplement the classroom experience. VR content was shown to significantly boost student learning and test scores, with those who had participated in the VR-based curriculum achieving average scores of 93% on the final test versus the average 73% achieved by those who had not.
The VR-enhanced curriculum was also found to improve learning comprehension and retention. A test was given two weeks after the end of the curriculum to measure knowledge retention, and the results clearly demonstrated that students in the VR group outperformed those in the traditional learning group. Students in the VR group scored an average of 90% while those in the traditional education group scored an average of only 68%.
Students in the VR group saw their scores decrease by far fewer percentage points than those in the control group, signaling that VR-based education allowed students to achieve higher learning retention.
Virtual reality will help to enhance a better understanding of complex concepts. Find out more information about VR impact on school education on our "Altairika for schools" page.