Exploring Collaborative Immersive Virtual Reality Serious Games for Enhancing Learning Motivation in Physics Education

Physics education posed challenges, with students' limited interest attributed to the subject's abstract nature as well as educators' struggles in conveying complex concepts effectively. To address these challenges, a collaborative-based, high-immersion virtual reality (IVR) game approach for physics education was proposed in this study. The focus of this study was to enhance student motivation and improving learning outcome through the integration of serious game elements. Eight distinct serious game elements were explored, incorporating narrative, autonomy, accomplishment, ownership, social interaction, challenge, and immersion into the game design. Students were assigned to complete three physics experiments within the game where they required to work collaboratively. Results indicated high ratings for integrated game features, with questionnaire responses revealing enhanced motivation among students who found physics less interesting. These findings highlighted the effectiveness of collaborative learning within IVR serious games, offering a valuable framework for future serious game design in physics education.