Design of generative AI-powered pedagogy for virtual reality environments in higher education

Emerging technologies are transforming education, necessitating research on their optimal integration. This article introduces an Intelligent Virtual Reality (IVR) approach that incorporates Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) through two GAI-powered pedagogical characters, aiming to address educational needs. This qualitative descriptive research had two phases: Needs Analysis and Pedagogical Design. The needs and ideas, collected from 66 educators, were classified into three categories: AI acting as a character, emerging technologies to assist student learning, and emerging technologies to help teachers. The Pedagogical Design involved integrating GAI and VR in a sustainability education setting, and developing two virtual characters, Tero and Madida, as an information source and a learning companion, respectively. Evaluation through iterative testing with domain experts and interviews suggested that these characters met 9 out of 12 identified needs, highlighting their potential to enhance higher education learning experiences. Future research could explore further refinements to address the remaining needs.