The Impact of Immersion through Virtual Reality in the Learning Experiences of Art and Design Students: The Mediating Effect of the Flow Experience

This study provides a theoretical model on the effectiveness of learning through virtual reality technology in bachelor art and design students. Surveys were applied to 200 undergraduate art and design students, and the data obtained were analyzed using multivariate partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modeling. Our model results indicate that immersion VR has a positive impact on the flow experience. Moreover, the data demonstrated a mediating effect of the flow experience on the learning experience variable explained through motivation, curiosity, cognitive benefits, reflective thinking, and the perception of value. These results have possibilities for academic art and design institutions to increase learning in the classroom through virtual reality technology, leaving the possibility of replicating the model in other areas of study.