This study provides a comprehensive review of the application of virtual reality (VR) in social and emotional learning (SEL) for children and adolescents over the past decade (January 2013–May 2023), with a specific interest in the relations between their technological and instructional design features. A search in Web of Science resulted in 32 relevant articles that were then manually screened. Coding analysis was conducted from four perspectives: participant characteristics, research design, technological features, and instructional design. The analysis provides insights into the VR literature regarding publication trends, target populations, technological features, instructional scenarios, and tasks. To test the effectiveness of VR interventions for promoting SEL, a meta-analysis was also conducted, which revealed an overall medium effect size and significant moderating effects of SEL disorder type and instructional task. Finally, based on the research results, the practical implications of and future research directions for applying VR in SEL were discussed.

This study compares the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) and videoconferencing (VC) platforms for online learning. Comparative meta-analyses of 29 articles from 2003 to 2023 (15 for VR, 14 for VC) revealed that both technologies positively affect learning outcomes, with VR demonstrating a larger effect size (ES = 0.913) compared with VC (ES = 0.284). VR proved more beneficial in regular-sized classes, especially for natural science subjects, and excelled in experiential or collaborative learning environments. VC showed a greater impact in smaller classes, with significant variations depending on the program brand and camera options; it also favored natural science. These findings provide valuable guidance for educators and learners in choosing the most suitable technology for different online learning scenarios and shed light on future research in this field.

Background: Immersive virtual reality (IVR) serves as a promising tool to provide adolescents with enriched social experience due to its high-fidelity simulations and multimodal interaction. This study aims to design and develop a multi-user IVR collaborative game utilizing simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM)-based inside-out tracking technique to foster social experience among students. Also, this study explored the mechanism by which technology acceptance affected social experience in the IVR collaboration game, focusing on the mediating effects of presence, collective efficacy, and group effectiveness, as well as the moderating effect of social–emotional competence (SEC). Methods: A total of 104 seventh graders from a middle school in Central China participated in this study and completed the questionnaire. Finally, 87 valid questionnaire responses were retrieved. Results: The results revealed that technology acceptance both directly and indirectly influenced social experience. The mediation analysis revealed a key pathway influencing social experience: technology acceptance → presence → collective efficacy → group effectiveness → social experience. However, no moderating effect of SEC was found in the relationship between technology acceptance and social experience, group effectiveness, and social experience. Conclusions: Based on these results, more appropriate IVR interventions could be developed for social–emotional learning among children and adolescents.

While previous studies have examined the use of the metaverse to support the development of students’ learning outcomes, there has been little research to date on the use of the educational metaverse in learning experiences to provide possibilities for online learning. This study adopted a quasi-experimental design and contrasted the differences between metaverse and video conferencing in terms of social presence and learning engagement. One group of 28 students enrolled in the seminar class used both metaverse and video conferencing for online learning. The findings indicated that compared with video conferencing, the metaverse had a significant impact on social presence. Regarding learning engagement, the influence of the educational metaverse on behavioral and cognitive engagement was not significant, but students who used the metaverse showed a significant increase in emotional engagement. Based on the research results, several practical implications were provided for applying metaverse to synchronous online learning.

INPLASY202550071 Virtual Reality or Videoconferencing for Online Learning? Evidence from Comparative Meta-Analyses Keywords: virtual reality; videoconferencing platforms; online learning; learning …

This research conducted a systematic literature review on the application of Facebook in higher education published between 2013 and 2022 with the aim of examining the extent to which studies use Facebook as an educational tool in higher education. After an initial literature search and manual screening, a total of 34 articles from the Web of Science Core Collection were identified. The literature analysis used a coding scheme that included six interrelated aspects: metadata, research, technological features, instructional design, implementation, and assessment. The results of the review revealed the trend patterns in Facebook-supported higher education in terms of publication, technological features, instructional designs, and the characteristic of implementation and assessment. Finally, several implications for promoting Facebook-supported higher education are proposed.