Using immersive virtual reality in climate change education

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate sixth-grade student's level of understanding about the impacts of sea level rise, their climate change worries, and hopes after participating in an immersive virtual field trips-integrated inquiry-based learning (iVFTs-IBL) experience. A 360-degree documentary about melting glaciers and a VR boat experience about sea level rise designed by the researcher were used in the exploration phase of the two hour-long inquiry learning experience. In order to assess student understanding before and after the intervention, a five-item test about the impacts of sea level rise was adopted to Turkish. This test was used together with a formative assessment instrument, a KLEW chart. Climate Change Hope and Climate Change Worry Scales were also used to collect data in two data points. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores of the understanding test, which was supported by written student responses in the KLEW chart. While students' mean scores for climate change worry remained nearly the same before and after the intervention, their climate change hope scores significantly increased after they participated in the iVFTs- IBL experience.