Virtual voyage: Unveiling the '3I' influence on student learning.

Area of Science:

• Educational Technology
• Cognitive Psychology
• Virtual Learning Environments

Background:

• Metaverse classrooms offer novel educational experiences.
• Understanding the impact of technological attributes on learning is crucial.
• The interplay between virtual environment features and cognitive processes requires investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the influence of metaverse classroom attributes (immersion, interaction, imagination) on student learning outcomes.
• To investigate the mediating role of psychological imagery and the moderating role of representational ability.
• To develop and validate an integrative conceptual model for metaverse-enhanced education.

Main Methods:

• Development of an integrative conceptual model.
• Empirical analysis using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).
• Data collection from 930 validated questionnaires on metaverse classroom attributes and learning outcomes.

Main Results:

• Perceived immersion and interaction positively influence learning outcomes.
• Psychological imagery significantly mediates the relationship between metaverse characteristics and learning.
• Representational ability moderates the effects of imagination and psychological imagery on learning outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Metaverse classroom design should prioritize immersion and interaction.
• Fostering psychological imagery is key to leveraging metaverse potential for learning.
• Individual differences in representational ability impact learning within metaverse environments, highlighting areas for future research.