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Virtual reality (VR), an emerging technology, allows users to be immersed in a three-dimensional (3D) virtual environment (Peixoto et al., 2021) through devices. The common platforms of VR technology include Google Earth, Google Expedition, Tour Creator, and Second Life (Huang et al., 2021). VR tools could bring users to a certain place without limitations of time and space. When users move the position, the platform could immediately transmit precise images back to them (Chang et al., 2020a).
VR has been applied to many fields and contexts in recent years, including clinical medicine, tourism, and manufacturing. A systematic review study (Cieslik et al., 2020) has analyzed the impact of VR therapy and its applications in psychiatric disorders. The application of VR facilitated six aspects of tourism, especially heritage preservation, so that visitors could appreciate the scenery of threatened scenic spots, while tourism attractions are protected (Guttentag, 2010). Furthermore, VR, employed in manufacturing, could support decision-making in product design and innovation for industries and companies (Berg & Vance, 2017). As a result, VR technology is expected to be used in more different areas.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, students have to transform their classroom learning into online learning, and VR has become a significant means of distance learning to acquire knowledge (El-Ghandour et al., 2020). VR has gained more attention and popularity in education since the global pandemic. From elementary students (Chang et al., 2020b) to university students (Merchant et al., 2014), from engineering education (Salah et al., 2019) to language learning (Lan, 2020), VR has exerted a great influence on learning motivation and autonomy, spatial ability (Molina-Carmona et al., 2018), communicative ability development and productive language skills for specific purposes.
There are many unique affordances of VR for remote learning. They include the virtual and learner-centered language learning environment (Sood & Rawat, 2021) and mentally and physically immersive experience that none of the other technologies could bring to learners (Pinto et al., 2021). VR technology provides users with a virtual 3D world in which learners could interact with virtual objects and avatars, awaken their senses, particularly visual and auditory senses, and have a strong sense of presence. In this way, learning interest and curiosity are aroused Thus, learners are willing to be fully involved or immersed in learning activities in the digital world where different contexts are available and authentic (Makransky et al., 2019).
VR, however, still has its weaknesses. New users have to spend amounts of time familiarizing themselves with VR equipment and the virtual learning environment, thus frustrating them at the very beginning (De Troyer et al., 2010). After students get familiar with this technology, the rich representation of VR may easily distract them from learning tasks. Students are prone to get lost in the colorful but artificial world, leading to the failure to finish academic assignments (Virvou & Katsionis, 2008). Furthermore, learners cannot feel the actual weight of virtual objects when they need to manipulate handheld instruments if course content is pertinent to the technological practice (Sukotjo et al., 2021). Physically, users may experience dizziness or loss of balance when using VR tools (Xie et al., 2019).