Following the social turn in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) in the 1990s (Block, 2003), researchers have increasingly focused on the emic perspective of learners. As a result, identity, subjectivity, and agency have come to the forefront in SLA research. In an effort to afford learners the means to negotiate meaning more freely and to position…

This study examines the impact of High-Immersion Virtual Reality (HiVR) as a tool for teaching English L2 pragmatics to international students enrolled in an Intensive English Program at a US university. This research focuses on integrating HiVR into explicit L2 pragmatics instructional treatments. A quasi-experimental design was employed to…

Professional development (PD) is crucial for teachers to learn about new practices, technology, and improve self-efficacy to apply these skills. This sequential explanatory mixed-method study served to explore teachers' experiences with PD and using virtual labs in the classroom. First, in the quantitative phase of the study, a survey was…

This study was designed to identify the impact of virtual reality (VR) and the virtual reality learning environment (VRLE) on the assessment outcomes of students in a middle school life sciences unit of study. The experiment was a quantitative 2 x 3 repeated measure mixed group quasi-experimental design with three variables. The two independent…

This dissertation investigates how early career teachers' orientations of students and their mathematical activity, as surfaced their experience in a simulation, can reveal when their well-intentioned decisions might negatively impact traditionally underserved students. Three early career teachers engaged in two online simulations where they could…

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of virtual reality (VR) and emotionally resonant videos on knowledge retention for adult learners at a contractor safety training organization supporting the energy industry. The intent of this research was to determine if traditional computer-based training (CBT) can be made more…

The goal of this qualitative study was to answer the question: How do educators make sense of learning in virtual reality? This study utilized multimedia learning theory and cognitive load theory to explore how educators understand virtual reality in education. Pre- and post-interviews as well as a VR experience were conducted with 13 educators…

The purpose of this quantitative comparative study was to examine differences in college-level math students' self-efficacy attributable to recent use of virtual reality (VR) learning environments and processes. The theoretical foundation for this study included connectivism, multi-dimensionalism and social cognitive theory, and self-efficacy…

Effectively mastering organic chemistry means having the ability to recognize structural patterns, identify properties or behaviors as a result of patterns, manipulate and transform representations, and predict future outcomes. Often students rely on rote memorization of seemingly disconnected information instead of developing a sound…

Although virtual reality (VR) is commonly used in science classes, for example, to enable students to do simulated human dissections and other medical procedures, research on the use of VR as a learning tool in the humanities, more specifically the literature classroom, are few. This grounded theory study sought to understand better the use of VR…

Foreign language education in the United States has historically produced poor outcomes, with very few language learners achieving communicative competence. The increasing global demand for multilingual professionals makes the issue a salient one. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of U.S. middle school…

The 21st century technology has advanced to become an accessible beacon of education. The physical boundaries of the chemistry laboratory have expanded with the use of innovative virtual lab simulations despite disparate results from previous investigations of student performance comparing virtual lab simulations with traditional laboratory…

Both fashion design and education are areas where new technologies can have a significant impact. This dissertation examines the potential of virtual reality (VR) for fashion design education and focused on the profound affordances that virtual reality offers - immersion and agency. Using a phenomenological approach, the study combined arts-based…

In view of the emerging technologies in the virtual reality industry, VR provides a practical platform to train people in a safe and time-saving manner through serious virtual training tasks. Recent researches validate the effectiveness of virtual training, especially, it has been proved that personalized training in virtual reality is efficient…

Virtual Reality is an emerging technology that has not been widely adapted to teach science concepts to students with significant cognitive disabilities (SCD) in part due to teachers' lack of understanding and technical competence. This narrative case study aimed to recount the experiences of teachers of students with SCD as they engage in…