Virtual Reality (VR), especially in its immersive form, is a promising technology employed to support education and training in various fields. VR offers unique opportunities to experience situations and environments that are otherwise inaccessible or risky. Educational Seismology aims to inform and educate the public on earthquakes; to this end, the use of VR is investigated as an attractive solution. VRQuake is an immersive VR application designed and developed for Educational Seismology purposes. VRQuake is structured in five consecutive scenes and is organized as a game. It allows users to interact with virtual objects in real time and apply learned rules and good practices in reaction to an earthquake, thus providing a dynamic learning environment. A pilot evaluation of VRQuake is performed by volunteer university students who play the game and then answer a questionnaire with closed- and open-type questions referring mostly to the user experience. Analysis of the answers has shown positive results regarding usability, clarity and acceptance of the application. Answers are also encouraging as to the educational potential of VRQuake. Furthermore, qualitative analysis of open-type questions has contributed user suggestions and demands that point to interesting new directions for further improvement of user experience and learning outcomes.

Computer programming is a highly desirable and in-demand skill; accordingly, introductory-level courses are included in engineering and science curricula. The increasing student dropout rates, however, have prompted educational research on advanced digital teaching and learning tools, such as Virtual Reality (VR), to attract and motivate students. In the present empirical study, a VR application was designed, developed in Unity 3D, and pilot-evaluated. A desktop (semi-immersive) and a head-mounted display (fully immersive) version of the same application were compared in terms of (i) educational effectiveness with novice programmers (junior engineering students), (ii) usability, and (iii) the user experience they offer. The application was effective for novice programmers; however, the difference in learning gains between the two versions was not statistically significant. In terms of usability, the fully immersive version was rated higher than the Desktop version, the difference here being statistically significant. User experience with the fully immersive version received very high ratings. Findings corroborated existing evidence on the effectiveness of VR as an educational tool for novice programmers and revealed a strong educational potential even for complex programming concepts. The findings also suggest directions for future research on the affordances of VR in education, although more comprehensive and rigorous evaluation is needed.