Integrating Virtual Reality and Drone Technology in Geography Education: Enhancing Junior High School Students' Spatial Understanding of River Process and Landforms

ABSTRACT

The study developed a virtual drone system that integrates virtual reality with drone technology to create an interactive and immersive 3D learning environment. The effectiveness of this system was evaluated by comparing its impact on junior high school students' learning outcomes, motivation, and cognitive load in the “River Processes and Landforms” unit with that of traditional slide‐based instructional methods. A quasi‐experimental design employing non‐equivalent pretest–posttest groups was adopted. Participants comprised two eighth‐grade classes from a junior high school in Hsinchu City, Taiwan. The classes were assigned to an experimental group ( n  = 39), which received instruction using the virtual drone system, and a control group ( n  = 37), which was taught via slide presentations and videos. The instruction comprised three subunits: “River Processes,” “River Terraces,” and “Meanders.” Both groups received identical instruction for essential “River Processes” concepts to ensure comparable baseline knowledge, while different instructional tools were used for the following “River Terraces” and “Meanders” units. The results revealed that students in the experimental group achieved significantly higher learning outcomes in the “River Terraces” and “Meanders” subunits compared to those in the control group. Furthermore, these students reported higher levels of learning motivation and experienced reduced cognitive load. Participants in the experimental group also expressed high satisfaction with the virtual drone system, particularly emphasizing its interactive and immersive features. These findings suggest that integrating the virtual drone system into geography education can effectively enhance students' spatial understanding and engagement while alleviating cognitive challenges associated with learning complex terrain concepts.