As virtual reality (VR) technology rapidly evolves, its applications are expanding far beyond entertainment into educational domains, revolutionizing how students interact and learn. Pioneering research from Michigan State University, in collaboration with Stanford University, sheds light on VR’s impact in classroom settings, revealing both substantial benefits and notable limitations linked to session duration. This groundbreaking study, published in the journal Computers and Education, offers critical insights into the intricate balance between immersive engagement and cognitive fatigue in VR-mediated learning environments.
VR’s appeal in education lies in its unrivaled capacity to create immersive, interactive spaces that foster social presence—the compelling sensation of genuinely "being there" with peers in a virtual shared environment. Unlike traditional videoconferencing platforms, VR leverages detailed avatars, spatialized audio, and real-time nonverbal cues to replicate physical classroom interactions. This dimension of social presence has now been empirically linked to improved student outcomes, including enhanced engagement, increased sense of competence, and greater enjoyment of class activities. The research team, led by associate professor Rabindra Ratan, describes these immersive experiences as pivotal for fostering deeper learner connection and motivation within online education.
Yet VR in education is not without challenges. One critical aspect emerging from the study is the phenomenon of virtual meeting fatigue, a form of cognitive and sensory exhaustion unique to prolonged VR use. Unlike typical screen fatigue, simulator sickness and sensory overload in VR can induce discomfort, disorientation, and diminished focus. The MSU-Stanford study meticulously tracked these dual effects, showing that while benefits like peer social presence initially intensify with longer VR sessions, they peak and subsequently decline after approximately 45 minutes of continuous use. Beyond this threshold, the onset of fatigue curtails the efficacy of VR learning experiences, highlighting the importance of session length management.
What distinguishes this research is its nuanced appreciation for individual variability. The optimal VR session duration is not uniform across students; instead, it spans a broad spectrum ranging from as little as 20 minutes to as much as 280 minutes. This variance underscores the necessity of personalized learning strategies, adaptive VR platforms, and instructor awareness to tailor VR exposure according to individual tolerance and engagement levels. Consequently, a one-size-fits-all approach to VR in education is neither feasible nor effective.
The study was conducted over 15 weeks with undergraduate students enrolled in an online course designed to integrate immersive VR experiences alongside traditional videoconferencing. Students participated in class twice a week in 80-minute sessions, combining both VR and video platforms. Most participants were novices to VR technology, making the findings particularly relevant for educational institutions contemplating VR deployment among new user populations. The research identified that the learning curve and acclimation to VR greatly influence both benefits gained and fatigue experienced, suggesting incremental increases in VR session lengths as students gain familiarity.
Central to the educational advantages of VR, as elaborated by Ratan, is its facilitation of active, participative learning modalities rather than passive content delivery. Unlike lecture-based formats that characterize many traditional classrooms, VR excels in enabling small group discussions, interactive problem-solving, and experiential engagements where students can collaboratively manipulate virtual objects and spaces. This interactivity drives both cognitive immersion and motivation, which are crucial for sustained engagement and knowledge retention in online learning contexts.
Previous investigations by the team established three core constructs to evaluate student perceptions in VR learning: perceived learning, representing the extent students believe they have gained knowledge; perceived competence, or their self-assessed ability to perform well; and class enjoyment, reflecting the degree of fun and engagement. The current study extends this framework by incorporating temporal dynamics, revealing how these constructs ebb and flow with VR usage duration, influenced by social presence and fatigue trajectories.
Social presence emerges as a doubly beneficial factor. It not only enhances learner engagement and satisfaction but also serves as a buffer mitigating the detrimental effects of virtual meeting fatigue. The immersive environment’s capacity to convey subtle social cues, including gaze direction, gestures, and proxemic behavior via avatars, allows students to feel interconnected despite geographical separation. This virtual camaraderie injects a social vitality that can counteract isolation, a common pitfall in traditional online learning.
Despite these promising outcomes, Ratan emphasizes the critical need for balance and accessibility. VR should not be imposed as the sole learning medium. Instead, instructors are encouraged to provide alternative access modes such as desktop or mobile applications that allow participation without a headset, thereby reducing fatigue and potential simulator sickness risks. By accommodating diverse needs and limiting VR usage durations, educators can harness VR’s benefits while maintaining inclusivity and wellbeing.
The study also notes the physical and psychological implications of prolonged VR use, particularly simulator sickness, which can manifest as nausea, dizziness, or headaches. These side effects pose significant barriers to long-term adoption and highlight the importance of technological refinements in headset hardware, software optimization, and ergonomic design. Minimizing latency, improving field-of-view consistency, and tailoring motion mechanics can alleviate adverse symptoms, thereby extending viable VR session lengths.
Looking ahead, VR’s potential to redefine immersive online education remains immense, but its efficacy hinges on integrating human factors and cognitive ergonomics into platform and curriculum design. Research such as this paves the way for developing evidence-based guidelines that optimize VR pedagogy, session timing, and user experience customization. As VR tools mature, educators and technologists must collaborate closely to create meaningful, sustainable, and scalable virtual learning ecosystems.
These findings arrive at a pivotal moment, as global educational institutions increasingly incorporate hybrid and remote learning frameworks. Strategic VR use has the power to transform passive scrolling through screens into vibrant social gatherings, active collaborative projects, and embodied learning adventures in digital realms. Fully unlocking this potential will require continued investment, interdisciplinary research, and thoughtful integration within existing educational infrastructures.
In sum, VR offers a transformative platform capable of enhancing social presence and learning outcomes in digital education but demands careful attention to session duration limits and user variability. Embracing VR as a complementary medium—not a wholesale replacement—for traditional online learning enables educators to foster engagement, satisfaction, and competence while navigating challenges of virtual fatigue and accessibility. This nuanced approach will be critical for mainstream adoption and the realization of VR’s revolutionary promise in academia.
Subject of Research: Effects of virtual reality session duration on social presence, learning outcomes, and virtual meeting fatigue in online education.
Article Title: Time matters in VR: Students benefit from longer VR class duration, but certain outcomes decline after 45 minutes, with large individual variance
News Publication Date: 1-Oct-2025
Web References:
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S036013152500096X?dgcid=author
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105328
References:
Ratan, Rabindra et al. (2025). "Time matters in VR: Students benefit from longer VR class duration, but certain outcomes decline after 45 minutes, with large individual variance." Computers & Education. DOI: 10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105328
Keywords: Virtual reality, online education, educational methods, social presence, virtual meeting fatigue, user interfaces, immersive learning, simulator sickness
