An Asymmetric Multiplayer Learning Environment for Room-Scale Virtual Reality and a Handheld Device

Many different digital learning environments are currently in use. In combination with virtual reality (VR) technologies, these allow the creation of engaging hands-on experiences. While VR environments can deeply immerse the person wearing the headset, spectators are often not actively involved or are not even considered in the design phase. This is an issue for learning environments, as learning often takes place in pairs or groups. We propose a novel system that enables more than one person to join the VR world in a co-located space to overcome this problem. In addition to the classic VR headset, the asymmetric VR system features a position-tracked tablet. To evaluate this asymmetric VR concept, we conducted a study with 14 students to explore the user experience and motivation, the social presence, and possible further fields of application. The results indicate that users in both perspectives feel that they can control the virtual world.