Summaries of Research Papers

Bailenson, J., Yee, N., Blascovich, J., Beall, A., Lundblad, N., & Jin, M. (2008). The use of immersive virtual reality in the learning sciences: digital transformations of teachers, students, and social context. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 17, 102-141. doi: 10.1080/10508400701793141

The article describes how manipulating details of a virtual class experience can change its social dynamics. Through four empirical studies the authors digitally augmented a teacher’s gaze, changed the virtual location of a student’s seat, and inserted various co-learners to measure effects on others.