Work-in-Progress—A Learning Experience Design for Immersive Virtual Reality in Physics Classrooms

Immersive virtual reality simulations are argued to support students' learning of complex scientific concepts due to the use of realistic graphics and interactions to represent scientific phenomena that students can hardly experience in everyday life. However, the integration of virtual reality simulations in K-12 science classrooms introduces new challenges due to the lack of learning experience designs that can inform their effective deployment. This work-in-progress paper presents a learning experience design seeking to introduce an immersive virtual reality simulation in physics classrooms to support high-school students' understanding of the Special Theory of Relativity. We evaluate the technology-enhanced learning environment in terms of learners' perceptions and their conceptual learning gains. We conclude by reflecting on our findings about the proposed learning experience design.