Exploring the Impact of Virtual Reality on Students’ Perceptions and Competency in Multimodal Communication

Abstract

The diverse modalities of virtual reality (VR) environments make them highly appealing for learning experiences. This short paper explored the impact of immersive VR on students' perceptions and competencies in multimodal communication. Guided by Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory, the research involved first-year students in a multimodal communication course, where they engaged with the Oculus First Contact VR app. Pre- and post-session surveys assessed students’ expectations and perceptions of VR in education. The findings suggested that while students generally viewed VR as an effective tool for enhancing engagement and collaboration, concerns remained regarding its ability to significantly improve independent learning or real-world application of content. However, students recognized the potential of VR to facilitate hands-on skill development, particularly in simulating complex scenarios that traditional methods struggle to replicate. Additionally, this short paper identified five key themes relating to students' perceptions of VR’s rhetorical success in multimodal communication, including its ability to evoke wonder and enhance competency in multimodal communication.