Search Results (362)

Blended and virtual learning have become an integral part in international higher education, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the European Union’s Digital Education Action Plan. These modalities have enabled more inclusive, flexible, and sustainable forms of international collaboration, such as Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) and Blended Intensive Programs (BIPs), reshaping the landscape of global academic mobility. This paper introduces the INVITE Learning Design Framework (LDF), developed to support higher education instructors in designing high-quality, internationalized blended and virtual learning experiences. The framework addresses the growing need for structured, theory-informed approaches to course design that foster student engagement, intercultural competence, and motivation in non-face-to-face settings. The INVITE LDF was developed through a rigorous scoping review of existing models and frameworks, complemented by needs-identification analysis and desk research. It integrates Self-Determination Theory, Active Learning principles, and the ADDIE instructional design model to provide a comprehensive, adaptable structure for course development. The framework was successfully implemented in a large-scale online training module for over 1000 educators across Europe. Results indicate that the INVITE LDF enhances educators’ ability to create engaging, inclusive, and pedagogically sound international learning environments. Its application supports institutional goals of internationalization by making global learning experiences more accessible and scalable. The findings suggest that the INVITE LDF can serve as a valuable tool for higher education institutions worldwide, offering a replicable model for fostering intercultural collaboration and innovation in digital education. This contributes to the broader transformation of international higher education, promoting equity, sustainability, and global citizenship through digital pedagogies. Full article

University classrooms, core to higher education, have indoor light environments that directly affect students’ learning efficiency, visual health, and psychological states. This study integrates parametric optical simulation and virtual reality (VR) to explore light environment perception in ordinary university classrooms. Forty college students (18–25 years, ~1:1 gender ratio) participated in real virtual comparative experiments. VR scenarios were optimized via real-time rendering and physical calibration. The results showed no significant differences in subjects’ perception evaluations between environments (p > 0.05), verifying virtual environments as effective experimental carriers. The analysis of eight virtual conditions (varying window-to-wall ratios and lighting methods) revealed that mixed lighting performed best in light perception, spatial perception, and overall evaluation. Light perception had the greatest influence on overall evaluation (0.905), with glare as the core factor (0.68); closure sense contributed most to spatial perception (0.45). Structural equation modeling showed that window-to-wall ratio and lighting power density positively correlated with subjective evaluations. Window-to-wall ratio had a 0.412 direct effect on spatial perception and a 0.84 total mediating effect (67.1% of total effect), exceeding the lighting power density’s 0.57 mediating effect sum. This study confirms mixed lighting and window-to-wall ratio optimization as keys to improving classroom light quality, providing an experimental paradigm and parameter basis for user-perception-oriented design. Full article

Background/Objectives: Mechanical ventilation management is a critical competency for intensive care unit (ICU) nurses; however, traditional training methods are often insufficient to prepare nurses for the complexities of alarm management and clinical decision-making. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a 360-degree virtual reality (VR)-based mechanical ventilation nursing education program for ICU nurses in Korea. Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test design was employed with 65 ICU nurses (32 in the experimental group and 33 in the control group). Data were collected from May to October 2023. The VR-based program, developed using the ADDIE instructional design model, incorporated simulation-based scenarios focusing on ventilator alarm management and clinical reasoning. Outcome measures included knowledge of ventilation nursing, self-efficacy, clinical reasoning, learning immersion, turnover intention, and educational satisfaction. Data were analyzed using normality tests, descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and paired t-tests. Results: The experimental group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in knowledge (Δ = 5.54), self-efficacy (Δ = 0.94), clinical reasoning (Δ = 0.76), and learning immersion (Δ = 0.88) compared to the control group (all p < 0.001), where Δ denotes the change score (post-test minus pre-test). Post-test assessments were conducted immediately after the intervention. Educational satisfaction was also significantly higher in the experimental group (p < 0.001). No significant difference was observed in turnover intention between the groups, suggesting a limited short-term impact on this outcome. Conclusions: A 360-degree VR-based education program effectively enhanced key competencies among ICU nurses. While these findings reflect short-term outcomes, future research is warranted to assess the long-term effects and sustainability of VR-based learning in ICU continuing education. Full article

This paper examines the relationship between investment in water education and economic performance, focusing on the context of widening countries (EU Member States and Associated Countries with lower research and innovation performance). Through time-series data and panel regression analysis, the study investigates whether increased spending on education correlates with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth. While the initial static model indicates a positive but statistically insignificant association, a dynamic model with lagged GDP significantly improves explanatory power, suggesting that educational investments may influence growth with a temporal delay. Complementing the macroeconomic data, the paper analyses how targeted investments in educational innovation, especially in digital technologies such as virtual reality (VR) applications, enhance teaching quality and student engagement. Examples from partner universities involved in the WATERLINE project (Horizon Europe, 101071306) show how custom-built VR modules, aligned with existing hydraulic labs, contribute to advanced water-related skills. The paper also presents a cost-benefit analysis of VR applications in water education, highlighting their economic efficiency compared to traditional laboratory equipment. Additionally, it explores how micro-level innovations in education can generate macroeconomic benefits through widespread adoption and systemic impact. Ultimately, the research highlights the long-term value of education and innovation in strengthening both economic and human capital across diverse regions. Full article

This research delves into the assessment of students’ perspectives regarding virtual internships within Brazilian organizations, a phenomenon accelerated by the global pandemic. Evaluating 78 students’ virtual internships via a survey, the study employs the Fuzzy TOPSIS Class method for analysis. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the robustness of the results. Key insights for enhancing virtual internships encompass: emphasizing application and deeper understanding of topics learned during the undergraduate course, enhancing understanding about how organizations work, and fostering comprehension of market dynamics. Among the points best rated by students are the opportunity to explore new subjects, development of soft skills, and supervisors’ competence in managing teams in virtual environments. This paper contributes methodologically by proposing a multicriteria decision-making approach to assess virtual internships. The findings serve as a valuable resource for internship supervisors in companies and higher education institutions, aiding them in guiding students through this pivotal developmental phase that shapes their future careers. Full article

The rapid evolution of the Fourth Industrial Revolution has significantly transformed educational practices, necessitating the integration of advanced technologies into higher education to address contemporary sustainability challenges. This study explores the integration of interactive metaverse environments and generative artificial intelligence (GAI) in promoting the green digital economy and developing e-entrepreneurship skills among graduate students. Grounded in a quasi-experimental design, the research was conducted with a sample of 25 postgraduate students enrolled in the “Computers in Education” course at King Khalid University. A 3D immersive learning environment (FrameVR) was combined with GAI platforms (ChatGPT version 4.0, Elai.io version 2.5, Tome version 1.3) to create an innovative educational experience. Data were collected using validated instruments, including the Green Digital Economy Scale, the e-Entrepreneurship Scale, and a digital product evaluation rubric. The findings revealed statistically significant improvements in students’ awareness of green digital concepts, entrepreneurial competencies, and their ability to produce sustainable digital products. The study highlights the potential of immersive virtual learning environments and AI-driven content creation tools in enhancing digital literacy and sustainability-oriented innovation. It also underscores the urgent need to update educational strategies and curricula to prepare future professionals capable of navigating and shaping green digital economies. This research provides a practical and replicable model for universities seeking to embed sustainability through emerging technologies, supporting broader goals such as SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure). Full article

Hackathon events have become increasingly popular in recent years as a modern tool for innovation in the education sector as they offer important learning advantages. Within the “INVITE” Erasmus+ project, four distinct hackathons were organized to bring together academic institutions, teachers, and students in the design of innovative international virtual and blended collaborations. In addition, as part of the “INVITE” project, an Open Interactive Digital Ecosystem (digital platform) has been developed to facilitate hackathons organization and was tested within two of the events. This platform can enhance hosting action-training programs providing a shared open resources space for educators to contact peers and design projects. All four hackathons were held during 2024 and their duration and type (onsite, blended, hybrid, and online) varied significantly. However, all hackathon topics were related to sustainability, SDGs, and Green Agenda. In total, more than 220 participants enrolled in the four events, including students, researchers, and professors from different disciplines, age groups, and countries. All participants were provided with qualitative surveys to explore their satisfaction and experiences. The results compare different hackathon setups to reveal valuable insights regarding the optimal design for higher education hackathons. Full article

Augmented reality (AR) has been widely used in higher education because of its unique characteristics that combine virtuality and reality. This study systematically reviewed the literature on the application of AR in higher education between 2000 and 2023. A total of 237 articles were selected, and the key research findings were analyzed and synthesized based on the coding manual from five aspects: basic information, disciplines, technology features, instructional design, and research results. The results revealed interesting findings regarding AR literature in terms of publication trends and applied disciplines, technical features and affordances, instructional design, and learning outcomes and measurement methods. Furthermore, a meta-analysis was conducted on 60 experimental studies selected from the literature to examine the overall effectiveness of AR-based instructions. The results indicate that AR applications in higher education tend to have a large overall effect size (g = 0.896, 95% confidence interval = [0.685–1.107], p = 0.000), with two significant moderators: instructional function and learning outcomes. Additional sensitivity and publication bias analyses confirmed the robustness of the meta-analytic findings. Based on these results, four implications for educational practice and research investigating AR-supported higher education were proposed and discussed. Full article

Background: Stress affects 45% of NHS staff. More research is needed to explore how to develop resilient mental health nurses who face multiple workplace stressors, including interacting with distressed clients. Higher Education Institutions are uniquely placed to introduce coping skills that help reduce anxiety and increase confidence for pre-registration nurses entering placements for the first time. Methods: A convenience sample of first year mental health student nurses (whole cohort), recruited before their first clinical placement, were invited to participate. Following a mixed methods design, we developed a 360-degree virtual reality (VR) video, depicting a distressed service user across three scenes, filmed in a real-life decommissioned in-patient ward. Participants followed the service user through the scenes, as though in real life. We used the video alongside a cognitive reappraisal/solution-focused/VERA worksheet and supportive clinical supervision technique to explore students’ experiences of VR as an educative tool and to help build emotional coping skills. Results: N = 21 mental health student nurses were recruited to the study. Behavioural responses to the distressed patient scenario were varied. Students that had prior experience in health work were more likely to feel detached from the distress of the service user. Although for some students VR provided a meaningful learning experience in developing emotional awareness, other students felt more like a ‘fly on the wall’ than an active participant. Empathetic and compassionate responses were strongest in those who perceived a strong immersive effect. Overall, the supportive supervision appeared to decrease the anxiety of the small sample involved, but confidence was not affected. Conclusion: The use of 360-degree VR technology as an educative, classroom-based tool to moderate anxiety and build confidence in pre-placement mental health nursing students was partially supported by this study. The effectiveness of such technology appeared to be dependent on the degree to which ‘immersion’ and a sense of presence were experienced by students. Our cognitive reappraisal intervention proved useful in reducing anxiety caused by ‘the patient in distress scenario’ but only for students who achieved a deep immersive effect. Students with prior exposure to distressing events (in their personal lives and in clinical settings) might have developed other coping mechanisms (e.g., detachment). These findings support the idea that ‘presence’ is a subjective VR experience and can vary among users. Full article

Augmented reality (AR) is revolutionising education by integrating virtual elements into physical environments, enhancing interactivity and participation in learning processes. This study analyses the impact of AR in higher education, examining its influence on ease of adoption, student interaction, academic motivation and educational sustainability. A quantitative and explanatory design was employed, applying structural equation modelling (SmartPLS) to a sample of 4900 students from public and private universities. The results indicate that AR significantly improves the ease of adoption (β = 0.867), favouring its implementation. In addition, student interaction increases academic motivation (β = 0.597), impacting on perceived academic performance (β = 0.722) and educational sustainability (β = 0.729). These findings highlight the need to design effective learning experiences with AR to maximise their impact. However, challenges such as technological infrastructure, teacher training and equitable access must be addressed to ensure sustainable adoption. This study provides empirical evidence on the potential of AR to enhance motivation, learning and educational transformation. Future research should explore its effectiveness in diverse contexts to optimise pedagogical strategies and institutional policies. Full article

Virtual reality has been used for a variety of training and gaming purposes. Recent studies have demonstrated that their use in higher education enhances student engagement and positively impacts student performance. In this study, we implemented 360-degree video in an introductory biology lab at an American university and assessed student attitudes, engagement, and performance through various assessments, as well as overall course performance. For our methods, we implemented 360-degree videos across two academic semesters compared to two academic semesters in the previous year when the only difference between the courses was the use of 360-degree video. Students were extremely positive about virtual reality (74% of students who were surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that they would like to see more 360-degree video use in the lab), had minimal issues handling the technology (only 15.9% had issues or were distracted by the tech), and indicated that engagement with the topic was better with virtual reality (81.3% agreed or strongly agreed with enhanced self-reported engagement with the topic). Student performance was demonstrated to increase in two of the three formative assessments analyzed and in the single summative assessment analyzed; overall course grades in semesters with virtual reality were higher than in semesters without virtual reality. These results suggest that virtual reality in higher education may not only enhance student engagement and performance but also student attitude about the topic. Full article

Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR) technologies—collectively known as Extended Reality (XR)—have ushered in a new era of immersive and interactive instruction in applied sciences education. This systematic literature review aims to examine the application of XR technologies across various scientific and educational domains, evaluate their impact on learning outcomes, and identify the challenges hindering their broader integration. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a literature search was conducted using Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and IEEE Xplore, focusing on empirical studies published between 1 January 2010 and 1 November 2024, resulting in the inclusion of 56 studies. Among these, 32 studies (53%) employed VR, 25 studies (42%) utilized AR, and 3 studies (5%) adopted MR, with 4 studies exploring the combined application of VR and AR. The findings indicate that VR is primarily applied in higher education settings, such as universities and graduate programs, whereas AR is more prevalent in primary and secondary education; although MR is less frequently used, it exhibits distinct advantages in disciplines requiring high interactivity and realism. Overall, each XR modality can enhance learning motivation, efficiency, and immediate knowledge acquisition in short-term interventions, while long-term implementation may contribute to improved memory retention, increased learner confidence, and sustained engagement. Despite persistent challenges—including high equipment costs, spatial and temporal constraints, small sample sizes, and insufficient longitudinal evidence—these findings underscore the transformative potential of XR technologies in applied sciences education. Full article

To address the challenges of dynamic adversarial scenario modeling distortion, insufficient cross-institutional data privacy protection, and simplistic evaluation systems in collegiate basketball tactical education, this study proposes and validates an immersive instructional system integrating digital twin and federated learning technologies. The four-tier architecture (sensing layer, digital twin layer, federated layer, and interaction layer) synthesizes multimodal data (motion trajectories and physiological signals) with Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) to enable virtual–physical integrated tactical simulation and real-time error correction. Experimental results demonstrate that the experimental group achieved 35.2% higher tactical execution accuracy (TEA) (p < 0.01), 1.8 s faster decision making (p < 0.05), and 47% improved team coordination efficiency compared to the controls. The hierarchical federated learning framework (trajectory ε = 0.8; physiology ε = 0.3) maintained model precision loss at 2.4% while optimizing communication efficiency by 23%, ensuring privacy preservation. A novel three-dimensional “Skill–Creativity–Load” evaluation system revealed a 22% increase in unconventional tactical applications (p = 0.013) through the Tactical Creativity Index (TCI). By implementing lightweight federated architecture with dynamic cognitive offloading mechanisms, the system enables resource-constrained institutions to achieve 87% of the pedagogical effectiveness observed in elite programs, offering an innovative solution to reconcile educational equity with technological ethics. Future research should focus on long-term skill transfer, multimodal adaptive learning, and ethical framework development to advance intelligent sports education from efficiency-oriented paradigms to competency-based transformation. Full article

Research on students’ immersive experiences with fully immersive virtual reality (VR) technologies is extensively documented across diverse educational settings; however, in maritime higher education, it remains relatively underrepresented. Therefore, by using segmentation analysis, this study aims to profile maritime engineering students at the Faculty of Maritime Studies, University of Rijeka, by perceived immersion (PIMM) within a Head-Mounted Display (HMD) VR engine room simulator and to explore differences in their perceived learning benefits (PLBs), future behavioural intentions (FBI), and satisfaction (SAT) with the HMD-VR experience. The sample comprised 84 participants who engaged in preliminary HMD-VR engine room simulator trials. A non-hierarchical (K-mean) cluster analysis, combined with the Elbow method, identified two distinct and homogeneous groups: Immersionists and Conformists. The results of an independent sample t-test indicated that Immersionists exhibited significantly higher scores regarding perceived learning benefits, future behavioural intentions, and overall satisfaction than Conformists. The study results underscore the significance of understanding students’ subjective perception of immersion in the implementation and further development of fully immersive VR technologies within maritime education and training (MET) curricula. However, as the study is based on a specific case within a particular educational context, the result may not directly apply to the broader student population. Full article

Virtual field trips in zoogeomorphology can allow students to explore the dynamic influence of beaver activity within the landscape. Education theory-informed virtual learning experiences (VLEs) of zoogeomorphologic topics, such as ecosystem engineers, are still underdeveloped for natural science learning communities. Through dam-building activities, beavers significantly alter stream hydrology, sediment transport, and vegetation organization and structure, promoting landscape heterogeneity. To effectively communicate this complexity of landscape modification, we developed an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment using historical photographs and detailed field notes to visualize the temporal and spatial transformations caused by beaver activity. A design and development process (TECCUPD), a philosophical framework for physical geography (TREE-PG), and a planning tool (VRUI conceptual model) are used to guide VLE architecture. Collectively, this information serves as a virtual proxy of an abandoned beaver pond field site to support student evaluation of the influence of sediment trapping and flooding on vegetation patterns on the landscape. This virtual place-based, experiential narrative environment is a proxy to capture the complexity of beaver-modified landscapes through ecological and geomorphological interactions. The integration of immersive VR technologies and generative artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education with learning theories that guide VR application design and development is applied in virtual field trips to support pedagogical goals and improve learning outcomes. Finally, we use an evaluation scale (TIPS) to assess the fidelity of learning theory implementation in a virtual field trip. Virtual field experiences in zoogeomorphology, informed by theory and utilizing immersive landscapes and scientific educational tools, can help students discern the effects of beavers on stream hydrology and geomorphic processes, as well as their potential role in mitigating water insecurity in climate adaptation efforts. Full article