Abstract Low-cost technology is essential to integrate Virtual Reality (VR) into educative institutions around the world. However, low-cost technology usually refers to low-end technology, which may compromise the level of immersion of the VR system. This study evaluates whether low-end and high-end VR systems achieve a comparable learning outcome regardless their immersion level. We also analyze the relationship between virtual presence and the learning outcome arising from a VR educational experience. An evaluation with 42 participants was conducted. We measured learning outcome and virtual presence under three different configurations, namely: a desktop computer, a low-end VR system, and a high-end VR system. The impact of simulator sickness was also analyzed. Results revealed a lower learning outcome in the less immersive configuration (i.e. desktop) and a similar learning outcome in both low-end and high-end VR systems. Even though low-end VR systems are less immersive and produce a lower level of virtual presence than high-end VR systems, the results support the use of low-end VR systems for educative applications.

中文翻译：

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使用低端虚拟现实系统的虚拟存在和学习成果的影响

摘要 低成本技术对于将虚拟现实 (VR) 集成到世界各地的教育机构中至关重要。但是，低成本技术通常是指低端技术，这可能会影响VR系统的沉浸感。这项研究评估了低端和高端 VR 系统是否实现了可比的学习结果，而不管它们的沉浸程度如何。我们还分析了虚拟现实与 VR 教育体验产生的学习成果之间的关系。对 42 名参与者进行了评估。我们测量了三种不同配置下的学习成果和虚拟存在，即：台式计算机、低端 VR 系统和高端 VR 系统。还分析了模拟器疾病的影响。结果显示，沉浸感较低的配置（即 桌面）以及在低端和高端 VR 系统中的类似学习结果。尽管与高端 VR 系统相比，低端 VR 系统的沉浸感较低并且产生的虚拟临场感较低，但结果支持将低端 VR 系统用于教育应用。