In recent years, virtual reality (VR) technology has been widely available for psychological research in spatial cognition. Studies focusing on the training and testing of navigational and wayfinding skills are increasingly using virtual environment (VE) paradigms, which offer significant benefits in experimental control, ecological validity, and…

What factors contribute to effective multimedia learning? Increasingly, interactivity is considered a critical component that can foster learning in multimedia environments, including simulations and games. Although a number of recent studies investigate interactivity as a factor in the effective design of multimedia instruction, most examine only…

This study investigated place location learning from a simulated environmental exploration experience in terms of two variables: gender (both cognitive and affective effects) and presence and/or type of accompanying map. Subjects were 120 fourth and fifth grade students, who were randomly selected and assigned after stratification on gender. The…