Noel H. Vincent, Zhen Liang, and Yosuke Sasao, Kyoto University, Japan

A small-scale investigation of 22 first-time VR users was conducted to determine the extent to which different control methods (“Touch Mode” and “Point Mode”) influenced participants’ ability to memorize the educational content (Hebrew orthography) in an original VR game. In Touch Mode, participants selected user interface (UI) elements by physically moving their hands (and upper bodies) toward targets in virtual space, whereas in Point Mode, participants could manipulate a virtual laser pointer with their wrists to select UI targets from a stationary position. The Point Mode control method required less time to learn on average than the Touch Mode with high-medium effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.76). Ultimately, the difference in post-test scores between Touch Mode users and Point Mode users was not statistically significant (p = .294). Thus, the increased bodily motion necessitated by Touch Mode did not have a significant influence on memory function as initially hypothesized.

Virtual Reality (VR), Educational Software, Foreign Language Education, Neurophysiology, Interaction Design.