Date of Award

Fall 11-15-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Systems Engineering

First Advisor

Mary Fendley

Abstract

Virtual Reality (VR) offers an immersive and interactive platform for experiential learning. The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate the relationship between physiological responses and cognitive workload within a VR learning environment and to explore VR as an effective instructional tool. This research compared participant engagement, stress, and learning performance within a 6th-grade science module developed in VR by incorporating biometric data collected via Polar H10 heart rate monitor and Varjo Areo VR headset eye-tracking. Thirty-three participants completed a pre-lesson demographic survey, post-lesson survey, VR sickness questionnaire, and the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX). While completing the lesson, the biometric data was collected to indicate cognitive load and engagement during the simulation. The NASA-TLX scores were statistically significant at below 50, indicating a relatively low perceived cognitive workload. No significant differences were found between heart rate before the quiz and heart rate during the quiz. Heart rate variability (HRV) values were statistically significant above 50. This score suggested participants remained calm and unstressed during the lesson. Eye-tracking metrics were analyzed to provide further insight for learning and engagement. These results suggested that VR can provide immersive learning without causing excessive stress or cognitive overload. Implications for future research about VR and education were discussed.

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