Learning in a virtual reality classroom

Generally, teachers prefer to place children who have difficulties to pay attention in the front of the classroom, proximal to them. However, there is no empirical evidence suggesting that this might help inattentive children to better pay attention or to better perform at school.

To our knowledge, this is the first study using a virtual reality classroom to empirically investigate whether inattentive children actually profit from sitting in the front of the classroom, next to the teacher.

Bibliography

Pfiffner, L. J., & Barkley, R. A. (1998). Treatment of ADHD in School Settings. In L. J. Pfiffner, R. A. Barkley, & G. J. DuPaul (Eds.), Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment 2 (2nd ed., pp. 458–490). New York: Guildford Press.

Publication

Blume, F., Göllner, R., Moeller, K., Dresler, T., Ehlis, A.-C., & Gawrilow, C. (2019). Do students learn better when seated close to the teacher? A virtual classroom study considering individual levels of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity. Learning and Instruction, 61, 138–147.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2018.10.004 2018

Project Team

Dr. Friederike Blume (Department of School Psychology and LEAD Graduate School & Research Network)
Dr. Richard Göllner (Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology and LEAD Graduate School & Research Network)
Dr. Korbinian Möller (Knowledge Media Research Center (IWM) and LEAD Graduate School & Research Network)
Dr. Thomas Dresler (LEAD Graduate School & Research Network and Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy)
Dr. Ann-Christine Ehlis (Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and LEAD Graduate School & Research Network)
Prof. Dr. Caterina Gawrilow (Department of School Psychology and LEAD Graduate School & Research Network)

Funding

Intramural Research Fund of the LEAD Graduate School & Research Network

Study Information

The data collection is finished.

Project duration: 09/2015 - 09/2017