Generating a learning stance through perspective-taking in a virtual environment

    Authors

    R. Lindgren

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Comput. Hum. Behav.

    Keywords

    Perspective-taking; Learning; Virtual environments; Computer simulations; ANALOGICAL TRANSFER; PLATE-TECTONICS; EYE-MOVEMENTS; ATTENTION; STUDENTS; MODELS; REPRESENTATIONS; CONSTRUCTION; EXPERTISE; KNOWLEDGE; Psychology, Multidisciplinary; Psychology, Experimental

    Abstract

    Emerging media technologies such as virtual environments present a unique opportunity to examine the effects of perspective-taking on processes of human learning. In these environments it is possible for learners to immerse themselves in a unique visual perspective-such as that of a competent actor-and experience the ways they allocate their attention as they perform critical tasks in a domain. This study investigates whether the opportunity to experience a first-person perspective of actions in a virtual world simulation benefits learning compared to a third-person, disembodied perspective of those same events. Measures of performance within the simulation and post-assessment activities including a diagramming task indicate significant advantages for participants who received the first-person perspective. These participants had a better memory for the important tasks and task-related elements of the simulation; they committed fewer errors and exhibited less help-seeking behavior than participants with a third-person perspective. Results are described in terms of a virtual environment's ability to generate a learning stance through person-centered perspective-taking, and potential implications for the design of instructional computer technologies are discussed. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

    Journal Title

    Computers in Human Behavior

    Volume

    28

    Issue/Number

    4

    Publication Date

    1-1-2012

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    1130

    Last Page

    1139

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000304518000007

    ISSN

    0747-5632

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