Manuscript received October 30, 2023; revised December 17, 2023; accepted January 22, 2024; published May 14, 2024
Abstract—Virtual Reality (VR) technology is revolutionizing education, providing unique opportunities for immersive and interactive learning. This study explores the potential of VR to enhance undergraduate biology education—a pioneering endeavor within the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This research follows a structured three-stage approach which includes: pre-assessments, immersive VR experiences, and postassessments that evaluate the impact of VR on students’ knowledge and skills. This is complemented by a Likert-scale comprehensive learning survey designed to assess the students’ level of engagement and satisfaction. Using VR, students navigate a detailed 3D model of the human body and its organs and findings suggest that immersive VR holds substantial promise as an educational tool in UAE undergraduate biology education. Pre-assessments and post-assessments demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in biology assessment scores, indicating enhanced comprehension of complex concepts after a single VR session. Furthermore, the learning survey results suggest high levels of student engagement and satisfaction in the VR environment. The introduction of VR technology into undergraduate biology education is innovative, shedding light on its untapped potential. This study provides insights into the broader applicability of immersive VR in science education and its potential to transform learning experiences, benefiting both students and educators.
Keywords—virtual reality, immersive learning, education, undergraduate biology, student engagement, educational technology
Cite: Muriel T. Zaatar, Niveen Masri, Mounir Alfahel, Gaelle Antar, Aryaman Dayal, Hiba Khamis, Muhammed Kuruvani, and Georges Kachaamy, "Exploring the Virtual Frontier: The Impact of Virtual Reality on Undergraduate Biology Education at the American University in Dubai," International Journal of Information and Education Technology vol. 14, no. 5, pp. 675-680, 2024.