Learning a foreign language requires interaction with language input while involved in a task. Given that problem‐based learning (PBL) offers hands‐on application in realistic contexts, and that virtual reality (VR) enables learners to interact with multiple modalities of information, this study examines how the integration of VR technology into PBL contexts affects students' motivation for, problem‐solving during, and vocabulary acquisition in learning English as a foreign language (EFL). A total of 84 engineering majors who enrolled in a course of English for specific purposes were randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group. Students in the experimental group participated in a VR‐assisted PBL context, in which they were to view a PBL scenario using VR technology and then to create VR videos about solving the given problems. Those in the control group participated in a PBL context without the use of VR technology for viewing and solving the identical scenario. After the intervention, all the students wrote a problem‐solving analysis, took a vocabulary knowledge test, completed a learning motivation questionnaire, and participated in individual interviews. The results showed that the students in the experimental group significantly outperformed those in the control group in terms of vocabulary acquisition, and were more motivated to learn English related to their future careers, whereas there was no significant difference in the problem‐solving performance of the two groups. Implications of these findings highlight the value of engaging EFL learners in immersive environments for contextualized learning through the integrated use of VR and PBL.

中文翻译：

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基于问题的学习环境中的虚拟现实：对英语学习者的问题解决性能，词汇习得和动机的影响

学习外语需要在参与任务时与语言输入进行交互。鉴于基于问题的学习（PBL）提供了在现实环境中的动手应用程序，并且虚拟现实（VR）使学习者能够与多种信息形式进行交互，因此本研究探讨了将VR技术集成到PBL环境中如何影响学生的学习方式。学习英语作为外语（EFL）的动机，解决问题的过程以及获得词汇的能力。总共有84个工程专业以英语为目的而学习，他们被随机分配到实验组或对照组。实验小组的学生参加了VR辅助的PBL环境，他们将使用VR技术查看PBL场景，然后创建有关解决给定问题的VR视频。对照组的参与者参加了PBL环境，而没有使用VR技术来查看和解决相同的情况。干预后，所有学生都进行了问题解决分析，接受了词汇知识测验，完成了学习动机问卷调查，并参加了个人访谈。结果表明，实验组的学生在词汇习得方面显着优于对照组，并且在学习与他们未来职业相关的英语方面更有动力，而在解决问题的能力上并没有显着差异。两组。