Enhancing motivation to learn marine ecology and increase ocean literacy through virtual reality in higher education

Abstract Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly recognized as a tool for enhancing engagement and motivation in education. This is particularly true where access to experiential learning is limited, as is often the case in marine ecology courses. However, the effectiveness of VR for teaching and learning in higher education is poorly understood. Here, we use the Explore experience developed by The Hydrous (nonprofit) combined with a post‐experience questionnaire to test (1) the impact of the experience on self‐reported motivation to learn, knowledge consolidation and motivation for pro‐environmental behavior (PEB); (2) the influence of small group discussion immediately after the experience (treatment) on these outcomes; and (3) whether individual motivation either to learn or for PEB could be predicted by sensory experience, cybersickness, ease of use, presence, or preference for realism. We found that undergraduate university students ( n = 48) had overall positive responses to the VR experience regardless of whether they participated in a small discussion group, reporting increased motivation to learn, increased motivation for PEB and knowledge consolidation. Positive responses were predicted by positive sensory experience, with those students who reported stimulation (as opposed to overload) also experiencing the most positive outcomes in motivation and consolidation. Our study demonstrates that integrating VR into a real higher education course can enhance student motivation, support knowledge consolidation, and foster PEB. The findings align with learning theories, suggesting that VR experiences promote active engagement, intrinsic motivation, and deeper cognitive processing. Our results highlight VR's potential as an effective tool in higher education, providing insights for future VR applications not only in marine science learning but also in fostering lifelong global citizenship.