What if the future of learning is not about reading more books or watching more videos? What if it is about stepping inside the lesson itself?

Researchers at NC State’s Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering believe immersive technology could fundamentally change how people learn. However, they are not asking whether virtual reality is exciting or entertaining. Instead, they are exploring a bigger question. Can virtual reality change the way you think?

Associate Professor Karen Chen and Ph.D. student Fangyuan Cheng recently shared their research in the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Bulletin. Their findings suggest the answer depends less on the technology and more on how it is designed.

Technology Alone Is Not Enough

Many people associate virtual reality with gaming. Chen sees something much bigger.

“An attractive aspect of virtual reality (VR) is its interactivity and support for content 3D visualization,” Chen said. “Having this type of technology can help people to learn potentially difficult and abstract concepts that are commonly associated with STEM.”

Yet the headset itself is only part of the equation.

“A core element of our research is human factors,” Chen said. “We need to examine how users in VR utilize cues and gestures, and thereby create interactive systems that ‘work’ and ‘fit’ the people.”

That philosophy shaped every project. The research showed that visual cues, learning prompts and natural interactions can improve how people understand, organize and remember information. Rather than asking people to adapt to technology, Chen’s team designs technology that adapts to people.

Teaching Technology How People Think

Cheng focused on another challenge. She wanted to understand why some virtual learning experiences improve thinking while others do not.

“Even though we know VR has real strengths in how it displays information and lets you interact with it, research shows that its affordances… don’t reliably translate into better higher-order thinking on their own,” Cheng said. “So the challenge I’m addressing is figuring out what specific design strategies and components actually convert VR’s affordances into real cognitive gains.”

One discovery came from something surprisingly simple.

People naturally use their hands to think.

During one study, participants developed intuitive gestures for different cognitive tasks. When asked to summarize information, many instinctively gathered information together and compressed it with their hands.

“When people were shown a lot of information in VR, the gesture they converged on was physically gathering and compressing that information together with their hands, like squeezing a sponge,” Cheng said. “That gesture actually mirrors the cognitive operation of distilling a lot of content into one core idea.”

Participants also developed gestures for organizing, comparing and classifying information. Those movements could eventually replace some typing and clicking while helping people process information more naturally.

Looking Beyond the Headset

Although the research takes place in virtual reality, its impact reaches far beyond today’s headsets.

“As AR glasses get lighter and more wearable, they’re on track to become an everyday medium for taking in and processing information,” Cheng said. “Using VR as a testbed, these works offer insight into how to design that spatialized workspace to support thinking and cognitive tasks.”

Chen also emphasized that the work reflects a true partnership.

“The lead Ph.D. student, Fangyuan Cheng, has worked tirelessly and contributed to all aspects of the various research projects,” Chen said. “She now contributes regularly to the XR Technical Group in the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.”

So, Can VR Change the Way You Think?

Chen and Cheng believe the better question is whether virtual reality, particularly content and modes of interaction, is thoughtfully designed to help people learn more effectively. Instead, it is whether thoughtfully designed technology helps people learn more effectively.

Their research suggests it can.

As immersive technology becomes part of classrooms, workplaces and everyday life, the future of learning may depend less on the devices people wear and more on the human-centered design behind them.