Vetenskapsrådet, VR
This study aims to contribute primarily to the literature on virtual reality (VR)- and animation-based learning by referring to the flow theory to examine the critical mediating effects of factors related to students\u2019 flow experience (i.e., cognitive and affective response) on the influences of technological attributes (i.e., visual appeal and course interaction) on factors related to individual expectations (i.e., confidence and satisfaction), which, in turn, influencing learners' behavioral intention and learning achievement. Therefore, by adopting the perspective of the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) framework (Mehrabian & Russell, 1974), this study focuses on the dynamics of the practice of situated experiential learning that can significantly improve learners' behavioral intention (i.e., Chiu & Tsuei, 2023; Shanshan & Wenfei, 2024) and learning achievement (i.e., Adib, 2024; Bian et al., 2022; Schott & Marshall, 2018; 2021). Therefore, the research framework of this study is grounded in the premises of SOR and flow experience in electronic business-simulation-game (e-BSG) supported learning settings to explore the effects of cognitive and affective responses that are proposed by the flow theory (Thomas & Baral, 2023).This study examines the relationships between stimuli- (technological attributes) and organism- (i.e., individual perceptions and emotional experiences) related factors to address the research gaps regarding how those factors may influence students' behavioral intentions and learning achievements. Thus, we considered the principles representing those technological attributes and instructional design concepts to develop a VR-supported e-BSG learning system. Then, it was applied in retailing management courses to examine students\u2019 cognitive and affective responses to behavioral intentions and learning achievement. It is, similarly, intended to better understand the pedagogy and recommend appropriate technological applications (i.e., VR or animation) for the instructional approach. The literature review of this study focuses primarily on VR-supported and animation-supported learning in the areas of business, management, and education (i.e., Krath et al., 2021; Loke, 2015; Purohit & Dutt, 2024; Woldemariam et al., 2023; Xi & Hamari, 2021). This study has summarized the development of relevant prior studies in Appendix D and Appendix E in order to highlight the need for more empirical studies on management educational contexts in which e-BSGs are utilized. The findings of those studies are valuable in terms of helping us understand the association between various technical features and flow experiences and how they can help students close the gap between academic theories and real-world practices, making a significant contribution to the field of business management education.According to situated learning theory, an instructional approach employs techniques that enable students to experience a concept within the real world (i.e., course unit teaching). Such situated experiential learning leads to better individual development and helps individuals assess learning achievement. For example, VR/animation-enhanced technologies can catch learners\u2019 attention and encourage them to interact with VR/animation systems to access learning content (i.e., stimuli), which helps learners decrease the degree of ambiguity in the conveyed message or cognition and supports the arousal of positive emotion or flow experience (i.e., organism). On the other hand, interactive channels and a greater degree of visual appeal (i.e., stimuli) can encourage effective communication, which can result in better cognitive and affective responses (i.e., organism). Course interaction and visual appeal are the major well-established components for achieving effective learning. Hence, practical instructional tools should achieve the highest degree of interaction and visual appeal to increase learner concentration, interest, enjoyment, and immersion or to demonstrate an authentic activity for the learning task (Chen et al., 2020; Singh et al., 2021). Research has indicated that course interaction via VR or animation to support a significant visual appeal for learner emotion and tactile domains (i.e., simultaneous use of scenarios, colors, text, and voice) is usually associated with greater clarity and thus increased experiential quality, experience, and outcomes (Radianti et al., 2020; Wang, Lin, & Lu, 2023).Finally, central factors, such as informativeness, perceived value, and enjoyment, can enhance learners' satisfaction with e-BSG-supported learning processes (i.e., Albarq, 2021; Jang & Hsieh, 2021; Tao et al., 2009). Norsworthy, Dimmock, Nicholas, Krause, and Jackson (2023) suggested that manipulating the challenge levels of e-BSGs, which is a widely deployed intervention, helps instructors appropriately evaluate students' perceived competence and task affordance in e-BSG scenarios. Previous studies have shown that pedagogical and social affordances significantly predict students' psychological needs satisfaction (Shi et al., 2024) and perceived competence (Sun et al., 2023), which benefits learners in coping with e-BSG activities. Those studies reported that flow experience is crucial in determining users' self-efficacy (i.e., confidence), satisfaction, and competence (Inal & Wake, 2023; Liu et al., 2023). As mentioned above, a better flow experience is more effective at inducing learners\u2019 motivation and abilities, which may trigger their behavioral intentions (Ghani & Deshpande, 1994; Rodr\u00EDguez\u2010Ardura & Meseguer\u2010Artola, 2017; Wang, Lin, & Lu, 2023; Yang, 2024; Zulfiqar et al., 2019). In other words, learners can feel an authentic sense of self in a virtual world that may help them perceive the complexity of the real world (Loke, 2015).Second, from the perspective of implementing interactive VR-based learning practices, the research design of this study aims mainly to understand and evaluate students' behavioral intentions and learning improvement. Therefore, the research findings can contribute to the application of SOR model and flow theory in the situated learning context in which e-BSGs are utilized to support and assist students' learning in knowledge related to management (i.e., Ronaghi & Forouharfar, 2024; Sholihin et al., 2020; Tao et al., 2009; Yen & Lin, 2022). According to the work of Krath et al. (2021), by simultaneously adopting and integrating the theoretical perspectives connecting situated learning and flow theories in e-BSG learning contexts, this study has addressed a significant theoretical gap in existing e-BSG research. From the perspectives of SOR model and situated learning theory, the use of interactive systems (i.e., e-BSGs) can result in a high degree of connectedness and visual stimulation (i.e., text, voice, and color information), which may lead to students\u2019 positive perceptions and emotional experiences in the e-BSG learning process. Such interactions can facilitate meaningful knowledge or information transfer, including two-way interaction between instructors/tutors and students, as well as between students and technology (i.e., Chen & Wang, 2023; Lin et al., 2017; X. Wang, Lin, & Lu, 2023). Therefore, course interaction was the most important topic when developing our proposed e-BSG learning system. The results of this study also indicate that the theoretical viewpoint of situated experiential learning is still relatively novel and significant in terms of developing teaching methods in the business management field via the support of VR/animation e-BSGs. The findings of this study regarding the use of e-BSGs echo the viewpoints of Purohit and Dutt (2024), who argued that pedagogical innovation should apply and extend the existing theoretical frameworks (i.e., situated learning theory) to support the development of innovative teaching methods, benefiting pedagogical innovations in the field of management education (Bandera et al., 2018).Furthermore, the second implication is that the relevant VR-/animation-enhanced studies regarding the long-term memory issue. The existing studies are insufficient to address the problem of learning improvement regarding assessments in two stages of e-BSG research. Students' confidence can be a significant predictor of their satisfaction, thus inducing their behavioral intention to use e-BSGs. Similarly, students' confidence is mixed because confidence will permeate various important aspects of cognition. Thus, learning improvement cannot be achieved when their feelings of confidence are not developed and sharpened. This study suggests that the e-BSG design must provide students with opportunities to improve their confidence and competence, which can encourage them to persist in completing specific e-BSG tasks (Hung et al., 2023).In the business management field, more studies are needed to investigate situated experiential learning to enrich the current understanding of developing teaching processes in various educational areas, such as retailing management (e.g., An et al., 2021; Goel & Prokopec, 2009; Haryana et al., 2022; Jang & Hsieh, 2021; Kim et al., 2020; Xi & Hamari, 2021). In other words, instructors may consider adopting case studies, animation, storytelling, e-BSGs, or problem-based learning methods to improve the overall quality of students' learning processes (Marriott et al., 2015; Perusso & Baaken, 2020; Suki & Suki, 2017). Such teaching situations may help students quickly understand, remember, and recall the required information or knowledge from the subjects or make more informed decisions for learning tasks. More specifically, instructors or e-BSG designers may want to ensure that VR-/animation-supported e-BSGs are capable of meeting participants\u2019 expectations, which thus facilitates their learning to create new knowledge or gain a deeper understanding of the learning subjects.We would like to thank Prof. Hwang, H.-J. for the valuable insights and comments. We must acknowledge the helpful assistance of research team members (i.e. Mr. Chen-Feng Guo, Hung-Lin Chen, Tzu-Wei Liu, Wei-Ting Chen, Yan-Ting Wu) during the experiment of this paper. This research was funded by the National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan [grant number: NSTC 112-2410-H-006 -052 -MY3; NSTC 113-2811-H-006 -001].
National Science and Technology Council, NSTC
Grant: NSTC 112-2410-H-006 -052 -MY3, 113-2811-H-006 -001
This study aims to contribute primarily to the literature on virtual reality (VR)- and animation-based learning by referring to the flow theory to examine the critical mediating effects of factors related to students\u2019 flow experience (i.e., cognitive and affective response) on the influences of technological attributes (i.e., visual appeal and course interaction) on factors related to individual expectations (i.e., confidence and satisfaction), which, in turn, influencing learners' behavioral intention and learning achievement. Therefore, by adopting the perspective of the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) framework (Mehrabian & Russell, 1974), this study focuses on the dynamics of the practice of situated experiential learning that can significantly improve learners' behavioral intention (i.e., Chiu & Tsuei, 2023; Shanshan & Wenfei, 2024) and learning achievement (i.e., Adib, 2024; Bian et al., 2022; Schott & Marshall, 2018; 2021). Therefore, the research framework of this study is grounded in the premises of SOR and flow experience in electronic business-simulation-game (e-BSG) supported learning settings to explore the effects of cognitive and affective responses that are proposed by the flow theory (Thomas & Baral, 2023).This study examines the relationships between stimuli- (technological attributes) and organism- (i.e., individual perceptions and emotional experiences) related factors to address the research gaps regarding how those factors may influence students' behavioral intentions and learning achievements. Thus, we considered the principles representing those technological attributes and instructional design concepts to develop a VR-supported e-BSG learning system. Then, it was applied in retailing management courses to examine students\u2019 cognitive and affective responses to behavioral intentions and learning achievement. It is, similarly, intended to better understand the pedagogy and recommend appropriate technological applications (i.e., VR or animation) for the instructional approach. The literature review of this study focuses primarily on VR-supported and animation-supported learning in the areas of business, management, and education (i.e., Krath et al., 2021; Loke, 2015; Purohit & Dutt, 2024; Woldemariam et al., 2023; Xi & Hamari, 2021). This study has summarized the development of relevant prior studies in Appendix D and Appendix E in order to highlight the need for more empirical studies on management educational contexts in which e-BSGs are utilized. The findings of those studies are valuable in terms of helping us understand the association between various technical features and flow experiences and how they can help students close the gap between academic theories and real-world practices, making a significant contribution to the field of business management education.According to situated learning theory, an instructional approach employs techniques that enable students to experience a concept within the real world (i.e., course unit teaching). Such situated experiential learning leads to better individual development and helps individuals assess learning achievement. For example, VR/animation-enhanced technologies can catch learners\u2019 attention and encourage them to interact with VR/animation systems to access learning content (i.e., stimuli), which helps learners decrease the degree of ambiguity in the conveyed message or cognition and supports the arousal of positive emotion or flow experience (i.e., organism). On the other hand, interactive channels and a greater degree of visual appeal (i.e., stimuli) can encourage effective communication, which can result in better cognitive and affective responses (i.e., organism). Course interaction and visual appeal are the major well-established components for achieving effective learning. Hence, practical instructional tools should achieve the highest degree of interaction and visual appeal to increase learner concentration, interest, enjoyment, and immersion or to demonstrate an authentic activity for the learning task (Chen et al., 2020; Singh et al., 2021). Research has indicated that course interaction via VR or animation to support a significant visual appeal for learner emotion and tactile domains (i.e., simultaneous use of scenarios, colors, text, and voice) is usually associated with greater clarity and thus increased experiential quality, experience, and outcomes (Radianti et al., 2020; Wang, Lin, & Lu, 2023).Finally, central factors, such as informativeness, perceived value, and enjoyment, can enhance learners' satisfaction with e-BSG-supported learning processes (i.e., Albarq, 2021; Jang & Hsieh, 2021; Tao et al., 2009). Norsworthy, Dimmock, Nicholas, Krause, and Jackson (2023) suggested that manipulating the challenge levels of e-BSGs, which is a widely deployed intervention, helps instructors appropriately evaluate students' perceived competence and task affordance in e-BSG scenarios. Previous studies have shown that pedagogical and social affordances significantly predict students' psychological needs satisfaction (Shi et al., 2024) and perceived competence (Sun et al., 2023), which benefits learners in coping with e-BSG activities. Those studies reported that flow experience is crucial in determining users' self-efficacy (i.e., confidence), satisfaction, and competence (Inal & Wake, 2023; Liu et al., 2023). As mentioned above, a better flow experience is more effective at inducing learners\u2019 motivation and abilities, which may trigger their behavioral intentions (Ghani & Deshpande, 1994; Rodr\u00EDguez\u2010Ardura & Meseguer\u2010Artola, 2017; Wang, Lin, & Lu, 2023; Yang, 2024; Zulfiqar et al., 2019). In other words, learners can feel an authentic sense of self in a virtual world that may help them perceive the complexity of the real world (Loke, 2015).Second, from the perspective of implementing interactive VR-based learning practices, the research design of this study aims mainly to understand and evaluate students' behavioral intentions and learning improvement. Therefore, the research findings can contribute to the application of SOR model and flow theory in the situated learning context in which e-BSGs are utilized to support and assist students' learning in knowledge related to management (i.e., Ronaghi & Forouharfar, 2024; Sholihin et al., 2020; Tao et al., 2009; Yen & Lin, 2022). According to the work of Krath et al. (2021), by simultaneously adopting and integrating the theoretical perspectives connecting situated learning and flow theories in e-BSG learning contexts, this study has addressed a significant theoretical gap in existing e-BSG research. From the perspectives of SOR model and situated learning theory, the use of interactive systems (i.e., e-BSGs) can result in a high degree of connectedness and visual stimulation (i.e., text, voice, and color information), which may lead to students\u2019 positive perceptions and emotional experiences in the e-BSG learning process. Such interactions can facilitate meaningful knowledge or information transfer, including two-way interaction between instructors/tutors and students, as well as between students and technology (i.e., Chen & Wang, 2023; Lin et al., 2017; X. Wang, Lin, & Lu, 2023). Therefore, course interaction was the most important topic when developing our proposed e-BSG learning system. The results of this study also indicate that the theoretical viewpoint of situated experiential learning is still relatively novel and significant in terms of developing teaching methods in the business management field via the support of VR/animation e-BSGs. The findings of this study regarding the use of e-BSGs echo the viewpoints of Purohit and Dutt (2024), who argued that pedagogical innovation should apply and extend the existing theoretical frameworks (i.e., situated learning theory) to support the development of innovative teaching methods, benefiting pedagogical innovations in the field of management education (Bandera et al., 2018).Furthermore, the second implication is that the relevant VR-/animation-enhanced studies regarding the long-term memory issue. The existing studies are insufficient to address the problem of learning improvement regarding assessments in two stages of e-BSG research. Students' confidence can be a significant predictor of their satisfaction, thus inducing their behavioral intention to use e-BSGs. Similarly, students' confidence is mixed because confidence will permeate various important aspects of cognition. Thus, learning improvement cannot be achieved when their feelings of confidence are not developed and sharpened. This study suggests that the e-BSG design must provide students with opportunities to improve their confidence and competence, which can encourage them to persist in completing specific e-BSG tasks (Hung et al., 2023).In the business management field, more studies are needed to investigate situated experiential learning to enrich the current understanding of developing teaching processes in various educational areas, such as retailing management (e.g., An et al., 2021; Goel & Prokopec, 2009; Haryana et al., 2022; Jang & Hsieh, 2021; Kim et al., 2020; Xi & Hamari, 2021). In other words, instructors may consider adopting case studies, animation, storytelling, e-BSGs, or problem-based learning methods to improve the overall quality of students' learning processes (Marriott et al., 2015; Perusso & Baaken, 2020; Suki & Suki, 2017). Such teaching situations may help students quickly understand, remember, and recall the required information or knowledge from the subjects or make more informed decisions for learning tasks. More specifically, instructors or e-BSG designers may want to ensure that VR-/animation-supported e-BSGs are capable of meeting participants\u2019 expectations, which thus facilitates their learning to create new knowledge or gain a deeper understanding of the learning subjects.We would like to thank Prof. Hwang, H.-J. for the valuable insights and comments. We must acknowledge the helpful assistance of research team members (i.e. Mr. Chen-Feng Guo, Hung-Lin Chen, Tzu-Wei Liu, Wei-Ting Chen, Yan-Ting Wu) during the experiment of this paper. This research was funded by the National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan [grant number: NSTC 112-2410-H-006 -052 -MY3; NSTC 113-2811-H-006 -001].
