Circles: A Framework for Creating Inclusive Virtual Reality Learning Activities in Social Learning Spaces

Abstract

This paper describes a practical framework for creating inclusive virtual reality learning activities called Circles. Researchers built Circles to address greater engagement and inclusion within virtual reality learning, explore alternative virtual reality learning foundations, and disseminate the design decisions behind creating a virtual reality framework to enhance rather than replace existing social learning spaces. This paper highlights the framework’s experiential learning opportunities and contributions to enhance collaborative learning and increase individual and social inclusion in virtual reality learning activities. These features include supporting multiple virtual reality platforms, connecting different virtual learning environments, supporting symmetric selection interactions, and a networking system to enable collaborative interactions. For preliminary evaluation of the Circles framework from a creator perspective, we summarize and analyze several post-secondary education use cases of the Circles framework and semi-structured interviews with eight creators. The emergent themes from this exploratory analysis suggest that Circles provides a good foundation for social multi-platform virtual reality for learning but that more research in exploring transformational learning and more accessible creator workflows is necessary.