ORCID

0000-0003-0858-1404

Keywords

immersive virtual reality, extended cognition, presence, learning, performance, driving

Subject Categories

Cognitive Psychology | Educational Technology

Abstract

This dissertation examines how modality-specific scaffolding shapes performance, presence, and transfer in immersive virtual reality (I-VR). Framed through theories of extended cognition, real-time guidance is conceptualized as cognitive scaffolding that structures perception and action by embedding task-relevant information within the environment. Situated within the learning sciences and informed by 4E cognition (embodied, embedded, enactive, extended), this work develops a framework for understanding how I-VR affordances relate to learning and performance.

The empirical study investigates how scaffolding modality (audio vs. visual) influences presence and performance in a VR racing simulation. Using a 3 × 2 × 2 mixed factorial design, 111 participants completed racing trials under one of three conditions: audio co-pilot (ACP), visual co-pilot (VCP), or no assistance (control). Visual guidance was delivered through color-coded in-environment cues, whereas auditory guidance was provided through just-in-time verbal instructions. Presence was assessed using Place Illusion (PI) and Plausibility Illusion (PSI), while performance outcomes included lap time, task completion, and vehicle telemetry.

Lap-time performance improved across trials regardless of condition, with no differences in acquisition or transfer performance across groups. Presence did not vary by condition or phase and was not associated with performance outcomes. ACP showed some performance benefits in both lap time and braking. Additionally, differences emerged in crash outcomes during transfer. Although crash rates were comparable during acquisition, participants in the visual scaffolding condition exhibited substantially higher crash and incompletion rates once guidance was removed, compared to both auditory and control conditions.

These findings suggest that forms of external cognitive support may differentially influence behavior during skill transfer, even when performance and subjective experience appear comparable. Together, this work advances understanding of how immersive technologies can support meaningful, transferable learning and provides a foundation for future research at the intersection of the learning sciences, 4E cognition, and I-VR design.

Completion Date

2026

Semester

Summer

Committee Chair

Stephen M. Fiore

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Department

Modeling, Simulation, and Training

Format

PDF

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

English

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