Keywords
Virtual Reality
VR-Experiences
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Copyright (c) 2026 Miriam Mulders
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
This paper addresses two central research gaps in the discourse on virtual reality (VR) in educational contexts. First, immersive learning has predominantly been conceptualized from a cognitive-psychological perspective, while affective and excitative dimensions have largely been neglected. Second, empirical studies commonly rely on short-term pre-post designs that model VR as an isolated intervention and thus overlook, how immersive experiences are embedded in extended streams of experiences. In response, the paper develops an educational perspective that conceptualizes immersive learning as a cyclical experiential process in which cognitive, affective, and excitative response patterns are tightly intertwined and framed by preparatory, immersive, and post-immersive activities. This perspective is illustrated through a VR-based communication training in higher education, in which students practice counselling skills with AI-driven avatars. The analysis shows that the pedagogical significance of immersive episodes does not reside in the virtual situation alone, but emerges from their instructional embedding, in particular through structured reflection and conceptualization. The paper thus offers a starting point for advancing an experience-oriented immersive learning within the field of media education.
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