Exploring team-based classroom experiences in virtual reality

Remote classrooms are increasingly taking a bigger role in student learning as the world transitions into a post-COVID era. There is hence an increasing need to explore more avenues to improve the learning experiences in such remote classrooms. To provide an initial understanding of the disparities in learning experiences between virtual reality (VR) and traditional mediums, this paper presents a study with 11 participants in team-based classroom learning tasks across three conditions - face-to-face, video conferencing and VR. The findings highlight several benefits and limitations of VR-based classrooms, e.g., the expressivity of avatars and customizability of learning environments in VR allows for a more personalized experience, but excessive interactivity sometimes lead to distractions. These findings shed light on how VR may be best designed to enhance remote classroom experiences.