Immersive Virtual Reality in Geoscience Education: Effects on Conceptual Understanding, Spatial Reasoning, and Student Engagement

Abstract

Virtual Reality (VR) has the potential to enhance geoscience education by enabling students to explore subsurface processes that are difficult to visualise using conventional teaching methods. This study describes the development and classroom implementation of an immersive VR learning module focused on geomechanics topics such as stress–strain behaviour, elastic deformation, and pore–fluid interactions, using Malaysian reservoir contexts. The study employed a one-group pre–post instructional design involving 40 final-year petroleum geoscience students at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS. Data were collected through conceptual assessments administered before and after the VR session, a post-activity Likert-scale questionnaire, and short written reflections. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative responses were examined thematically. The results indicate high levels of student engagement and enjoyment, strong preference for VR-based learning compared to traditional lectures, and noticeable improvements in spatial understanding of geomechanics concepts. These findings suggest that immersive VR can serve as an effective complementary approach for supporting conceptual learning and student motivation in higher-education geoscience programmes.