The impact of virtual reality on curiosity, joy, and engagement

Since the introduction of virtual reality (VR) into the field of education, research on VR and education has gradually increased. However, most studies have primarily focused on the impact of VR on academic performance, with few examining its effects on curiosity, joy, and engagement. Even among the existing studies on VR and curiosity, joy, and engagement, few have examined the relationships among these three factors within a VR context. This raises questions regarding the positive and negative impacts of VR on curiosity, joy, and engagement in educational settings, as well as the relationships among these factors as elicited by VR. To address these questions, this article employs a narrative literature review method, analyzing 30 articles related to VR and curiosity, joy, and engagement. The findings revealed that VR-based learning environments hold greater potential for fostering curiosity, joy, and engagement compared to traditional teaching methods, as they provide immersive experiences and interactivity that encourage exploration and engagement. At the same time, joy mediates the relationship between VR and curiosity and engagement, stimulating students' curiosity and leading to more active engagement. However, VR faces challenges such as insufficient depth of content interaction, lack of design complexity, high technical barriers, and inadequate teacher training and support systems, which may negatively impact its effects on curiosity, joy, and engagement. Therefore, when using VR in teaching, educators are encouraged to treat VR technology as a supplementary teaching tool rather than relying on it to fulfill all instructional tasks.