2026-10-12T19:30:01Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/34033518 2026-09-30T15:53:44Z portal_1188 item_type_8 month_year_09_2026

Investigating the use of Virtual Reality as a form of Simulated Learning in the context of Legal Higher Education Justin Wonjun Cho (24120165) N/A <p dir="ltr">Higher legal education institutions in the UK have increasingly been adopting technologies into their curricula to enhance simulated learning practices. At the same time, Virtual Reality (VR) has seen a great increase in adoption in other areas of education due to its immersive and engaging nature. Despite the theoretical evidence to suggest that VR can enhance legal simulation practices, empirical research in this area is scarce. Furthermore, studies have suggested that existing learning theories are outdated and unsuitable for informing immersive learning experiences. Through the analysis and synthesis of three critical systematic reviews, the need for a comprehensive framework founded upon relevant pedagogical theory to guide the implementation of VR in legal education was identified. The VR Higher Education Experiential Learning framework (VRHEEL) was proposed through the systematic reviews to address concerns regarding existing learning theories. By adopting the VRHEEL as a theoretical starting point, the PhD study aimed to explore the potential of using VR in the context of legal simulation practices. Research phase 1 was conducted to design a suitable VR environment for the purposes of the study. A VR environment was created and refined using interviews from seven students and nine educators from a UK university. Research phase 2 consisted of four case studies at four UK universities using the developed VR programme. Interview, observation, and learning style data were collected and triangulated from thirty-three participants across the four case studies to explore how VR could enhance student learning, focusing on the learning experience, VR suitability, and the influence of learning styles and prior experiences. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview and observation data, and the triangulated data were further analysed within and across the case studies to create rich accounts of the participants’ experiences with the VR programme. As a result, the final VR Mooting Framework (VRMF) was proposed, identifying numerous theoretical thematic contributions to the literature on the potential of VR in the legal simulation context. Practically, the study has provided valuable insights for educators for the effective implementation of VR in legal simulation practices. Overall, the study serves as a valuable foundation for future research in this area by holistically investigating the factors relevant to creating a meaningful VR learning experience in the legal simulation context.</p> 2026-09-30T15:53:44Z Text Thesis 10.83056/mmu.34033518.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/Investigating_the_use_of_Virtual_Reality_as_a_form_of_Simulated_Learning_in_the_context_of_Legal_Higher_Education/34033518 CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Open Access after 2028-09-25