Science for Education Today, 2022, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 183–202
© Ermolova T. V., Savitskaya N. V., Dedova O. V., Guzova A. V., 2022
UDC: 
376.4

Study of the possibilities of applying immersive experience of learning a foreign (English) language in the virtual reality worlds of children with disabilities

Ermolova T. V. 1 (Moscow, Russian Federation), Savitskaya N. V. 1 (Moscow, Russian Federation), Dedova O. V. 1 (Moscow, Russian Federation), Guzova A. V. 1 (Moscow, Russian Federation)
1 Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russian Federation.
Full text (Open Access) — Downloaded 547
Abstract: 

Introduction. The use of "end-to-end" digital technologies to solve the problem of providing equal access to quality, in particular, foreign-language education, as one of the key goals of inclusive education, is one of the main problems of our time. However, in the absence of research interest of representatives of the academic community in this topic, the launch of the process of developing and approving such practices can be postponed for a long time. The purpose of this article is to determine the possibilities of using digital technologies in teaching children with special adaptive opportunities in a foreign (English) language.
Materials and Methods. To achieve the goal, the following research methods were used: general scientific (dialectical, analysis and synthesis, comparison and analogy, annotation, scheduling and summarization), special (systemic, comparative analysis, etc.), research (analysis of Russian and international literature on the problem of research, results of experiments and practical activities of scientists and teachers, etc.).
Results. The authors, firstly, have proven that neurotechnologies can act as an integral element of the educational instrumental complex, in particular, a teacher of foreign languages, in working with children with special adaptive capabilities; secondly, it is argued that by now the use of such technologies, in particular, immersive (virtual reality) in teaching both healthy children and children with special educational needs, is effective and subject to the key psychological and educational conditions recommended for implementing.
Conclusions. The study has identified the possibilities of using digital technologies, namely virtual reality, in teaching a foreign (English) language to children with special educational needs. The effects produced by such technologies prove not only the possibility of using immersive experience of learning a foreign (English) language by children with special educational needs, but also the need for their integration into the pedagogical instrumental complex of inclusive foreign-language education, regardless of the level of education, the level of foreign language proficiency, teacher competence, teaching and learning facilities, etc.

Keywords: 

Immersive experience; Foreign (English) language; Virtual reality; Neurotechnology; Digital technology; Foreign language inclusive education; Adaptive educational environment.

For citation:
Ermolova T. V., Savitskaya N. V., Dedova O. V., Guzova A. V. Study of the possibilities of applying immersive experience of learning a foreign (English) language in the virtual reality worlds of children with disabilities. Science for Education Today, 2022, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 183–202. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15293/2658-6762.2204.09
References: 
  1. Lubovsky V. I. Special educational needs. Psychological Science and Education, 2013, vol. 5, pp.  61–66. (In Russian) URL: https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=21133936
  2. Shemanov A. Yu. Digital technologies in the context of inclusion. Modern Foreign Psychology, 2016, vol. 5 (3), pp. 66–74. (In Russian) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17759/jmfp.2016050308  URL: https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=28127467
  3. Helsper E., van Deursen A. Digital skills in Europe: Research and policy. In: Andreasson, K. (ed.) Digital divides: the new challenges and opportunities of e-inclusion. Hoboken: CRC Press, 2015, pp. 125–149. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/B17986-12 URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Digital-skills-in-Europe%3A-research-and-policy-Helsper-Deursen/79571d34c56046696aac49204a86ffed94b6ba53
  4. Ermolova T. V., Savitskaya N. V., Dedova O. V., Guzova A. V. The problem of choosing universal tools for foreign language teaching in conditions of changing educational paradigms. Science for Education Today, 2021, vol. 11 (6), pp. 179–194. (In Russian) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15293/2658-6762.2106.10  URL: https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=47447644
  5. McColl H. Foreign language learning and inclusion: Who? Why? What? – and How? Support for Learning, 2005, vol. 20 (3), pp. 103–108. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.0268-2141.2005.00372.x
  6. Sorokovykh G. V., Pribylova N. G. Developing social intelligence among schoolchildren with special educational needs at foreign language lessons. Pedagogy. Questions of Theory and Practice, 2020, vol. 5 (1), pp. 46–50. (In Russian) DOI: https://doi.org/10.30853/pedagogy.2020.1.8 URL: https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=42503629
  7. Tashcheva A. I., Gridneva S. V., Khoteeva R. I., Setyaeva N. N., Arpentieva M. R. Neurotechnology and development of students and teachers' subjectivity in inclusive education. Vocational Education and Labor Market, 2021, no. 4, pp. 73–87. (In Russian) DOI: https://doi.org/10.52944/PORT.2021.47.4.005 URL: https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=47274659
  8. Bower M., Jong M. S.-Y. Immersive virtual reality in education. British Journal of Educational Technology, 2020, vol. 51 (6). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13038   URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjet.13038
  9. Di Natale A. F., Repetto C., Riva G., Villani D. Immersive virtual reality in K-12 and higher education: A 10-year systematic review of empirical research. British Journal of Educational Technology, 2020, vol. 51 (6). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13030   URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjet.13030
  10. Rega P. P., Fink B. N. Immersive simulation education: A novel approach to pandemic preparedness and response. Public Health Nursing, 2013, vol. 31 (2). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/phn.12064   URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/phn.12064
  11. Dennison W., Oliver P. Studying nature in situ: Immersive education for better integrated water management. Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education, 2013, vol. 150 (1). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1936-704X.2013.03139.x   URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1936-704X.2013.03139.x
  12. Sergeev S. F. Problems and prospects of development e-learning. School Technologies, 2015, vol.  3, pp. 28–38. (In Russian) URL: https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=23768389  
  13. Levitsky M. L., Grinshkun A. V. Immersive technologies: ways to augment virtuality and how to use them in education. Bulletin of the Moscow City Pedagogical University. Series: Informatics and informatization of education, 2020, no. 3, pp. 21–25. (In Russian) URL: https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=44049890
  14. Selivanov V. V., Selivanova L. N. Effectiveness of the use of virtual reality for youth and adult education. Continuous Education: XXI century, 2015, no. 1, pp. 133–152. (In Russian) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15393/j5.art.2015.2729  URL: https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=23082853
  15. Anikina V. G., Khoze E. G., Srizhova I. V. Dynamics of mental states of learners working with didactic VR programs using virtual reality technologies. Experimental Psychology (Russia), 2021, vol. 14 (4), pp. 123–141. (In Russian) DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/exppsy.2021140407 URL: https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=47690343
  16. Zhao X., Yang Y. A study on the application of blended teaching to English reading course under the background of artificial intelligence. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 2021, vol. 693, pp. 012019. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/693/1/012019
  17. Li M. An immersive context teaching method for college English based on artificial intelligence and machine learning in virtual reality technology. Mobile Information Systems, 2021, vol. 2021, pp. 2637439. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/2637439 URL: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/misy/2021/2637439/
  18. Salmi H., Thuneberg H., Vainikainen M. P. Making the invisible observable by augmented reality in informal science education context. International Journal of Science Education, Part B. Communication and Public Engagement, 2017, vol. 7 (3), pp. 253–268. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21548455.2016.1254358
  19. Hsiao H. S., Chang C. S., Lin C. Y., Wang Y. Z. Weather observers: A manipulative augmented reality system for weather simulations at home, in the classroom, and at a museum. Interactive Learning Environments, 2016, vol. 24 (1), pp. 205–223. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2013.834829
  20. Parmaxi A. Demetriou A. A. Augmented reality in language learning: A state-of-the-art review of 2014-2019. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 2020, vol. 36, pp. 861–875. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12486
  21. Radianti J., Majchrzak T. A., Fromm J., Wohlgenannt I. A systematic review of immersive virtual reality applications for higher education: Design elements, lessons learned, and research agenda. Computers & Education, 2020, vol. 147, pp. 103778. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103778
  22. Kallioniemi P., Ronkainen K., Karhu J., Sharma S., Hakulinen J., Turunen M. CityCompass VR – a collaborative virtual language learning environment. In: D. Lamas, F. Loizides, L. Nacke, H.  Petrie, M. Winckler and P. Zaphiris (eds.) Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT, 2019, pp. 540–543. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29390-1_33
  23. Berns A., Reyes-Sánchez S. A review of virtual reality-based language learning apps. RIED. Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, 2021, vol. 24 (1), pp. 159–177. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5944/ried.24.1.27486
  24. Nurtdinova L. R. Educational environment of virtual reality as a means of developing the communicative competence of students in teaching a foreign language. Bulletin of the Samara State Technical University. Series: Psychological and pedagogical sciences, 2017, no. 1, pp. 57–65. (In Russian) URL: https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=29185712
Date of the publication 31.08.2022