Impact of Cognitive Load on Learning in Immersive Virtual Reality Environments

The present work focuses on the use of Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) to train users by immersing them in safe and controlled Virtual Environment (VE) and enabling them to learn by doing. Particular attention is given to adaptive VR-training systems that are capable of dynamically adjusting the training experience based on user’s performance and cognitive state. Considering this, a new methodology for such systems is proposed, that is crafted on the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML). This methodology aims to help instructors to understand how to adapt VR-training systems to users during their experience in VEs, leading to effective Learning Outcomes and avoiding a high Cognitive Load (CL). This human factor plays a critical role in mediating the relationship between Presence, Immersion, and Learning Outcomes, as the VE generates a CL to users. To have a deeper understanding, factors influencing CL in VEs are presented and relative solutions are proposed. It is our understanding that adaptive VR-training systems, their design, architecture, and attributes, can pave the way to new research directions and that the new methodology presented in this paper will be supportive.