Collaborative learning, driven by knowledge co-construction and meaning negotiation, is a pivotal aspect of educational contexts. While gesture's importance in conveying shared meaning is recognized, its role in collaborative group settings remains understudied. This gap hinders accurate and equitable assessment and instruction, particularly for…

The availability of powerful head-mounted displays (HMDs) has made virtual reality (VR) a mainstream technology and spearheaded the idea of immersive virtual experiences within the Metaverse -- a shared and persistent virtual world. Companies are eagerly investing in various VR products and services, aiming to be early adopters and create new…

Developing models, using mathematics, and constructing explanations are three practices essential for science inquiry learning according to education reform efforts, such as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013). However, students struggle with these intersecting practices, especially when developing and interpreting…

The article is devoted to the study of the dual nature of virtuality as a sociocultural phenomenon, which enables the outlining of recommendations for ensuring the integrity of a holistic personality and its stability in a world subject to transformation. The study is based on the methodology of systemic and structural research; comparative…

Digital games, especially simulations, have supported student learning outcomes in the areas of science and agriculture in classrooms and nonformal settings. Simulations contribute robustly to student achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and agriculture content areas, especially when they are aligned with…

Engineering education in particular involves laboratory equipment and apparatus which requires safety procedures and substantial financial cost. Recent pandemic has also affected engineering education teaching and learning processes as all the classes and laboratory sessions need to be conducted via online distance learning (ODL) method.…

Experimental research around virtual humans acting as pedagogical agents has often taken place in learner-paced learning environments. However, virtual humans are increasingly embedded in educational materials such as instructional videos, where the pacing of the environment can be fundamentally different than a stand-alone learner-controlled…

Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease is an emerging situation that brought challenges to all sectors, including academia and research. Undergraduate and postgraduate students in biochemistry and molecular biology have been affected significantly due to the recent laboratory closures. Experiments have been suspended for long causing extreme stress to the…

This article presents the outcome of an exploratory survey aimed to detecting the strengths and weaknesses and the degree of acceptance of the use of virtual and augmented reality in training of confined or suspected pollution environments workers. Forty-five Italian professionals (public and private) that work in health and safety in workplace,…

360-degree video (or 360° video) is recorded in an omnidirectional form so that viewers can look in any direction while the video plays. Interest in the application of 360° video has been emerging along with the advancement of lower cost technologies and increase in online video content. Little is known about trends in the emerging research for…

The purpose of the present study was to investigate, compare, and characterize interactive VR-based preservice science teacher clinical teaching environments with those of real-life teaching environments. Fifty-four college-aged students were assigned randomly to either real-life conditions or VR conditions. The main effect of the VR condition…

Large drop towers let you experience a couple of seconds of nearly free fall before stopping gracefully in magnetic brakes or bouncing a number of times on compressed air, as in the Turbo Drop tower considered in this work, where many complementary representations are used. An accelerometer taken along on the ride captured the forces experienced…

The use of virtual reality and computer simulation are gaining ground in social work as viable teaching methods. Traditionally recognized as ancillary to classroom learning, they are being incorporated strategically into course curricula. A systematic review was undertaken to answer the questions, How are virtual reality and computer simulation…

Teaching internal structures obscured from direct view is a major challenge of anatomy education. High-fidelity interactive three-dimensional (3D) micro-computed tomography (CT) models with virtual dissection present a possible solution. However, their utility for teaching complex internal structures of the human body is unclear. The purpose of…

The manuscripts in this collection expand the current research on the experience of undergraduate science students with virtual reality laboratories. A systematic literature review and synthesis involving 21 peer-reviewed empirical articles (2009-2018) revealed a dearth of theoretical and methodological approaches exploring VR Labs, which centered…