Background: The adoption of virtual laboratories (VLs) has experienced a significant surge, catalysed by the global changes in the educational landscape, notably influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally supplementary to traditional in-person laboratory experiments, VLs swiftly transitioned into a primary source of hands-on laboratory…

Pedagogical agents are on-screen characters that help facilitate learning in a virtual or mixed-reality setting. The research on pedagogical agents has shifted focus since their creation, from understanding their underlying principles, identifying their potential roles and usage, and recently finetuning their design for applied practice. This…

Extended reality (XR) is rapidly gaining attention and popularity; however, scholars confuse what XR technologies are and how they can be applied in language education. This qualitative, exploratory study unveils language teachers' perceptions of XR, which is an umbrella term for virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of computer-assisted language learning on cultural adaptation and language learning in non-traditional classroom settings. Design/methodology/approach: The data of this study came from extended periods of observation, multiple rounds of semi-structured interviews and home visits. Using…

This qualitative descriptive study explored nursing faculty perceptions and experiences using vSim for Nursing computer-based virtual simulation. The research questions guiding this study were: 1) What are nurse educators' perceptions and experiences utilizing vSim for Nursing computer-based virtual simulation? 2) What are the best practices nurse…

Virtual Reality (VR) has made significant inroads into both the consumer and professional sectors. As VR has matured as a technology, its overall practicality for use in education has also increased. However, due to the rapid evolution of the technology, the educational field struggles to stay informed of the latest advancements, changing…

Virtual Reality and education have been evolving for many years, moving from in-person classroom and online sessions to utilizing Virtual reality for training. Virtual reality allows students to actively engage with training rather than being passive in a classroom. The virtual world has been moving forward as a new tool to assist with…

Skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are increasingly in demand. Theoretical knowledge and formulas alone are frequently not sufficient to understand complex phenomena. Simulations are a valuable tool to support the conceptual understanding by visualizing invisible processes. The constant interaction with the learning…

This paper describes and discusses a case study of postgraduate students undertaking accident investigation and risk assessment exercises in an online virtual world as part of their course curriculum. These exercises were constructed to overcome the ethical and practical barriers inherent in real-world exercises. In particular this paper focusses…

The emergence of new technologies such as three-dimensional virtual worlds brings new opportunities for teaching and learning. We conducted an action research approach to the analysis of how teaching and learning of computer programming at the university level could be developed within the Second Life virtual world. Results support the notion that…

Constructionism places an emphasis on the process of constructing shareable artefacts. Many virtual worlds, such as "Second Life", provide learners with tools for the construction of objects and hence may facilitate in-world constructionist learning experiences. However, the construction tools available present learners with a significant barrier…

In schools, learning spatial geometry is usually dependent upon a student's ability to visualize three dimensional geometric configurations from two dimensional drawings. Such a process, however, often creates visual obstacles which are unique to spatial geometry. Useful software programs which realistically depict three dimensional geometric…

Nursing education programs are proliferating rapidly in the United States in an effort to meet demand for nurse professionals. Multiple challenges arise from this rapid expansion. One challenge is finding sufficient clinical sites to accommodate students. Increased competition for scarce resources requires creativity in clinical contracting. This…

Introduction: This study describes (a) process goals, (b) success factors, and (c) barriers for optimizing simulation-based learning environments within the simulation setting model developed by Dieckmann. Methods: Seven simulation educators of different experience levels were interviewed using the Critical Incident Technique. Results: (a) The…

As one of the emerging technologies, the Second Life virtual world provides learners of English as a Foreign Language with a unique opportunity of learning authentic language with native and non-native speakers of English in a virtual environment. It enables them to learn the target language in a real-life-like social communication environment. To…