"Look at My Planet!": How Handheld Virtual Reality Shapes Informal Learning Experiences

Handheld virtual reality offers a promising tool for fostering engagement in informal learning environments, providing safe, shared, and inclusive experiences. This study investigated the potential of a handheld VR-based educational program, Solar System Explorer, in a science museum setting. Fifty-three participants, aged 5 to 13, engaged in six interactive scenes using handheld tablets, involving room-scale exploration of virtual environments in small groups guided by a docent. Findings showed that dynamic, room-scale content encouraged active physical movement, while visually rich, interactive scenes fostered knowledge sharing and elicited positive emotional responses. Social engagement was strongest during creative activities, such as planet building, which facilitated interactions even among unfamiliar peers. These insights inform design guidelines for developing fun, active, and collaborative VR learning environments, contributing to scalable and inclusive handheld VR applications for informal education.