2/5/2025 | 11:00 AM - 12:20 PM | Grand Peninsula D

Evaluating the Impact of Interaction Level on Content Learning in the Eureka VR Environment for Mining Engineering Education

Author(s)

Rojin Manouchehri | University of Nevada Reno
Levi Scully | University of Nevada Reno
Araam Zaremehrjardi | University of Nevada reno
Umut Kar | University of Nevada Reno
Pengbo Chu | University of Nevada Reno
Frederick Harris, Jr. | University of Nevada Reno
Sergiu Dascalu | University of Nevada Reno

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) has increasingly become a popular tool in education, and is often compared with traditional teaching methods for its potential to enhance learning experiences. However, VR itself holds a wide range of experiences and immersion levels within, from passive environments to fully interactive, immersive systems. This study explores the impact on learning outcomes of different levels of interaction in VR. The user study is focused on the "Eureka" VR environment that we developed for teaching the key froth flotation process in mining. Two distinct VR modalities are compared: the first presents information through text and visuals without interaction, while the second immerses users in an interactive environment where they can actively engage with the content. Independent variables are the type of VR experience, passive versus active interaction, and the prior knowledge of the participants. Dependent variables are task completion times, error rates, and scores from an in-VR assessment of the participants’ understanding of the content. Our research hypotheses are that users in the active VR interaction perform better on assessments, complete tasks more efficiently, and make fewer errors compared to those in the passive interaction.  The findings of this user study and the Eureka VR system architecture could be beneficial to other VR-based training and education applications.