Immersion and Learning: Using Virtual Reality to Visualize Complex Cellular Processes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70577/ASCE/1966.1986/2025Keywords:
Virtual Reality, Immersive Learning, Cellular Processes, Science Education, Three-Dimensional Visualization, Student Motivation, Higher Education, Pedagogical Innovation.Abstract
This research investigates the impact of virtual reality (VR) on the teaching of intricate cellular mechanisms, with a specific focus on the reinforcement of conceptual comprehension and the longevity of information retention. A quasi-experimental mixed-method design was employed, featuring a control group subjected to conventional education and an experimental group educated via immersive VR simulations, involving a cohort of 120 undergraduate biology students. The intervention comprised instructional sessions facilitated by interactive three-dimensional situations that replicated cellular organisms through mechanisms such as mitosis, protein synthesis, and active transport. The data indicate that the cohorts subjected to the immersive intervention saw statistically significant enhancements in post-instruction evaluations (p < 0.01), alongside notable increases in motivation, engagement, and self-assessment of spatial comprehension. Furthermore, the discourse derived from interviews and the examination of reflective journals suggests that hyper-immersion serves as a mediator in the formation of high-resolution mental representations, hence augmenting the efficacy of education. Additionally, the cognitive performance of students with visual and kinesthetic learning styles—who were especially helped—shows that the proposed innovation is useful for more than just those types of pupils. This research is significant due to its novel pedagogical contribution through the systematic integration of virtual reality into the classroom, creating a multisensory approach to disciplinary subjects that, because of their abstract nature, remain unclear within conventional expository methods. In this respect, the accumulating evidence endorses the implementation of immersive laboratories as effective supplementary instruments in the pedagogy of biological sciences. This kind of support has several effects on the design of the curriculum and the promotion of digital skills in professional training.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Dennis Alexander Freire Carvajal, Christian Edilson Ochoa Torres, Nancy Jeaneth Ruiz Cobos, Marcela del Pilar Narváez Cazar, Juana del Carmen Moreira Cedeño

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