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Intracultural learning emphasises the importance of understanding one's own culture and that of foreign countries; furthermore, it involves sharing relevant opinions with people from around the world and developing an understanding and acceptance of differences. In order to immerse students in foreign countries to experience the cultures and environment, this study used spherical video‐based virtual reality (SVVR) to present authentic contexts. By referring to previous research and the constructivism learning theory, this study proposed the question, observation, and organisation (QOO)‐based SVVR approach. The aim of the proposed approach was to strengthen students' presentation performance, enrich their discussion, and increase their engagement. To investigate the effects of the QOO‐based SVVR approach, a quasi‐experiment was conducted in a cultural course, with a total of 60 high school students from two classes. The experimental group students used the QOO‐based SVVR approach to learn knowledge of world cultures, while the control group students learned with the conventional SVVR approach by observing in the SVVR environment, and then having team discussions and completing worksheets. The findings showed that the QOO‐based SVVR approach significantly enhanced the students' world cultures presentation performance in terms of accuracy, organisation, and relevance. The results showed a significant difference between the different learning approaches regarding acceptance of the use of SVVR. The interview results further indicated that the students learning with the QOO‐based SVVR approach had a greater tendency to learn to make more accurate, organised, and relevant presentations due to the benefits of the graphical learning methods, and to express their thoughts freely. On the other hand, there was no significant difference between the two groups' classroom engagement. Accordingly, discussion of the findings, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topicThe potential of spherical video‐based virtual reality (SVVR) in educational domains has been highlighted by researchers.In the VR‐supported learning process, a proper teaching approach should be considered to guide students to engage in meaningful learning.What this paper addsThe Question, Observation and Organization (QOO)‐based SVVR approach based on constructivism learning theory was proposed to promote students' intracultural learning.The QOO‐based SVVR approach promoted students' world cultures presentation performance in terms of accuracy, organization, and relevance, as well as the acceptance of the use of SVVR.Implications for practice and/or policyThe QOO‐based SVVR approach is a potential approach for teachers to guide students in VR‐supported learning process.The tools utilized in each stage can be replaced by other tools with similar functions for different learning contexts, such as using the repertory grid method in the "Organization" stage for science learning.Future research can integrate the QOO‐based SVVR approach into other teaching modes, such as flipped classrooms or inquiry‐based learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital game‐based learning (DGBL) is a frequently adopted mode for facilitating teaching and learning, where learners are immersed in game contexts to engage in gameplay and to construct meaningful knowledge. However, without guidance, students might have difficulties organizing what they have experienced in gaming contexts. Thus, in this research, a multidimensional repertory grid (MDRG) approach was proposed, and a digital game was implemented accordingly. Moreover, an experiment was executed in a geography course to examine the effectiveness of the strategy. A total of 83 high school students (15.5 years old on average) participated in the experiment. The experimental group learned with the multidimensional repertory grid‐based educational game, while the control group learned with the conventional gaming mode. The analysis results revealed that the experimental group had better learning achievement as well as higher learning motivation, self‐efficacy and metacognition awareness. In addition, the behavioral analysis and interview results revealed that those learning with the proposed strategy had a greater tendency to promote higher order thinking. Accordingly, the limitations and suggestions for future research are provided. Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topic Digital game‐based learning is an effective teaching approach that enables learners to effectively acquire knowledge in joyful contexts, hence enhancing their learning achievement and learning motivation.Suitable strategies should be embedded in games to enable students to have a higher level of thinking ability and to improve their academic performance.In view of guiding students to observe from multi‐dimensional perspectives, a repertory grid is believed to be a suitable tool since it enables students to observe different learning objects according to different aspects and elements.What this paper adds A multi‐dimensional repertory grid‐based educational game (MDRG game) was developed to facilitate students' learning achievement, learning motivation, and self‐efficacy as well as their metacognition awareness.In addition to promoting students' learning outcomes, students' learning behavioral transition diagrams were presented and interview results were analyzed in this study.Implications for practice and/or policy Traditional graphs or tables could help students memorize and understand features of learning objects; however, it is not easy to promote students' higher order thinking skills of making comparisons and reflections from multiple dimensions.The multi‐dimensional repertory grid‐based feedback provides students with systematically organized information to make comparisons and reflections, which furthermore enhances students' higher order thinking competences.Embedding suitable strategies (e.g., multi‐dimensional repertory grid‐based feedback) in games can effectively improve students' learning performance without increasing their cognitive load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

English speaking has been seen as a challenge for many English as a foreign language (EFL) learners, since they have limited chances to practice English-speaking skills. Therefore, it is essential to provide learners with adequate English-speaking contexts. To address this issue, this study integrated virtual reality (VR) into English speaking classes and aimed to explore the effects of VR on English oral proficiency, speaking anxiety, and emotions, as well as students’ perceptions. Forty university students from two classes were assigned as an experimental group and a control group. The students in the experimental group practiced English speaking with the VR tools, while those in the control group used PowerPoint. Data analysis revealed conflicting results. While ANCOVAs disclosed no significant difference between the two groups regarding their post-intervention oral proficiency, speaking anxiety, and emotions, qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews indicated that the independent VR environment could reduce their speaking anxiety, and VR tools could act as effective tools to practice speaking before formal situations in real life. Furthermore, three themes characterized students’ perceptions: “training simulation,” “learning without time or space limitations,” and “providing a safe learning environment.” Finally, interpretations of such conflicting results are offered and implications are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, several studies have reported the potential of employing digital games in EFL (English as Foreign Language) courses to promote students' learning motivation. However, scholars have pointed out that students generally lack self‐learning ability, which is the key to the success of learning a foreign language. Therefore, it is crucial to foster students' self‐learning ability during the game‐based learning process. In this study, an expert system was developed to facilitate self‐regulated learning in digital game‐based learning contexts. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, a quasi‐experimental design was employed in a university English course. The experimental group students learned with the self‐regulated English vocabulary game (SR‐EVG) approach, while the control group students learned with the conventional English vocabulary game (C‐EVG) approach. The experimental results indicated that the use of the SR‐EVG approach could improve learners' English vocabulary achievement and self‐regulation compared with the C‐EVG approach without increasing students' English learning anxiety. Moreover, through qualitative interviews, it was found that students who used the SR‐EVG approach would focus on their learning due to goal‐setting in the game and would pay more attention to the learning strategies they used. Practitioner notes: What is already known about this topic Digital game‐based learning situates students in a realistic situational environment, enabling students to learn by experiencing and interacting with the situations.Without appropriate scaffolding during digital game‐based learning, students may become overly focused on the game, or perform many non‐learning behaviorsSelf‐regulated learning refers to students' ability to learn on their own via goal setting, strategic planning, self‐monitoring, and self‐adjustment. What this paper adds An expert system‐guided self‐regulated learning approach was proposed to facilitate EFL students' performance in digital gaming contextsDue to goal‐setting step, students using the proposed approach would focus on their learning and pay more attention to the learning strategies they used. Implications for practice and/or policy It is potentially worth using the expert system‐guided self‐regulated learning approach in EFL training to facilitate students' performances and perceptions.The proposed approach can further analyze and compare the students' gaming and learning behaviors in the digital gaming contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing learners' sense of presence is important in professional training, in particular, when aiming to foster their competences of making judgements and solving problems when facing real cases. However, in conventional training programmes, sometimes it is difficult to situate learners in real cases owing to several considerations, such as cost and potential danger. Scholars have indicated that the lack of opportunities to experience real contexts could seriously affect the training outcomes. To cope with this problem, the present study proposes a spherical video‐based virtual reality (SVVR)‐based professional training (SVVR‐PT) approach based on the attention, relevance, confidence and satisfaction (ARCS) model to situate learners in an authentic training environment to experience the process of solving practical cases before facing real cases. To evaluate the effectiveness of the approach, a true experiment was conducted in a hospital by randomly assigning 70 nurses to an experimental group learning with the SVVR‐PT approach and a control group learning with the conventional training approach. The experimental results show that the proposed approach outperformed the conventional approach in terms of promoting the learners' sense of presence and learning achievement as well as their problem‐solving tendency and critical‐thinking awareness. Moreover, the SVVR‐PT learners also showed higher technology acceptance than the conventional training group. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic?Spherical video‐based virtual reality (SVVR) immerses learners in an authentic environment that enables them to have more opportunities to experiment and practice.Attention, relevance, confidence and satisfaction model has great potential in promoting learners' motivation and engagement.What this paper adds?A motivational model‐based virtual reality approach is proposed to facilitate learners' professional training performance.In addition to promoting learners' training performance, the results claimed that the proposed approach could promote students' sense of presence, problem‐solving tendency and critical‐thinking awareness.Implications for practice and/or policyIt is potentially worth using the motivational model‐based virtual reality approach in professional training to facilitate learners' performances and perceptions.The proposed approach can further analyze and compare the effects of the cooperative learning strategy on learners' performance and recorded learning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]