Forging Technical Career Skills in Virtual Reality: How Immersion Shapes Learning and Engagement

ABSTRACT Virtual reality (VR) is rapidly gaining popularity in vocational education and training (VET). We conducted a between‐subjects experiment to explore how VR modality (headset vs. desktop VR) influences trainee reactions and performance for a simulated welding task. Participants completed six welding trials, receiving feedback on three key performance metrics after each trial. Results indicate that participants performed better in the desktop VR condition. However, participants in the headset VR condition reported higher levels of future interest in welding and found the training to be less boring. Presence and engagement did not significantly mediate the relationship between VR modality and performance, as VR modality did not significantly predict presence. In post hoc analyses, we found that affect, interest and motivation positively mediated the relationship between presence and performance. Our results suggest that less immersive media may promote VET skill development more effectively, possibly due to a greater sense of fidelity. More immersive media may be better for developing engagement and interest for people who are not already committed to or interested in developing a skill, which may also counteract performance differences over time.