The Effectiveness of Desktop Virtual Reality on Colour Cognition and Immersive in Higher Education among Design Students

Recent advancements in educational technology have highlighted the potential of virtual reality (VR) to enhance learning experiences, particularly in fields requiring visual and spatial understanding, such as design education. However, the effectiveness of VR in teaching specific theoretical concepts, such as colour design principles, remains underexplored. In this study, a quasi-experimental design was employed, with undergraduate design students from two universities in Fujian Province assigned to Desktop Virtual Reality (DVRL) and Traditional Classroom Instruction (TCI) groups. Pre-test and post-test assessments were conducted to evaluate students’ colour cognition, and immersive questionnaies were used to measure immersion levels. The results indicated that both instructional methods significantly improved students’ understanding of colour principles. However, the DVRL group reported significantly higher levels of immersion, suggesting that VR technology creates a more engaging and interactive environment for studying colour relationships. These findings imply that while well-structured instruction can effectively teach colour design regardless of the delivery method, DVRL offers additional benefits for experiential learning. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on the integration of digital technologies in design education, particularly in leveraging culturally significant examples like the Dunhuang VR to enhance the teaching of colour design.