Immersive Virtual Reality (VR) has shown to be effective in general training and learning applications, but whether it has potential in understanding and learning complex topics is not well researched. In addition, the role of users’ expertise in VR-based learning is not really understood.

Here we present findings from our purpose-designed immersive VR system and investigation on whether experts with theoretical knowledge in a certain domain can develop deep non-verbal comprehension beyond pure understanding. Mathematically educated experts as well as non-experts are asked to interact with four-dimensional cubes projected into three-dimensional VR space (hypercubes)—an intentional task not found in real life.

In the first of two studies, we validate the feasibility of the principle subject matter, apparatus, and proposed measurements with 22 participants. This study is based on a seminal study proposal from the 1970’s. We use the results of this first study to inform a second study based on a philosophical thought experiment known as Mary’s Room. With 70 participants we investigate experience, interaction, and prior knowledge, in an immersive VR learning environment.

We can show that both experts and non-experts benefit from the immersive interaction with hypercubes. Both groups develop a non-verbal comprehension of this theoretical construct. Surprisingly though, experts, with prior theoretical knowledge, benefit stronger.

Our findings have implications for immersive VR learning environments and open a future research space on the importance of and relationships between immersive VR, interaction, understanding, comprehension, and constructivist learning.

身临其境的虚拟现实（VR）在一般的培训和学习应用程序中已显示出有效的作用，但是，它是否具有潜在的理解和学习复杂主题的潜能，尚待深入研究。此外，用户的专业知识在基于VR的学习中的作用还没有真正被理解。

在这里，我们展示了我们专门设计的沉浸式VR系统的发现，以及有关在特定领域具有理论知识的专家是否可以发展超出纯粹理解能力的非语言理解能力的调查结果。受过数学教育的专家和非专家都需要与投影到三维VR空间（超立方体）中的三维立方体互动（这是现实生活中没有的故意任务）。

在两项研究中的第一项中，我们验证了主要主题，仪器和建议的22名参与者进行测量的可行性。这项研究基于1970年代的开创性研究建议。我们使用第一项研究的结果为基于哲学思想实验（称为玛丽的房间）的第二项研究提供信息。我们有70名参与者在沉浸式VR学习环境中研究经验，互动和先验知识。

我们可以证明专家和非专家都可以从与超立方体的沉浸式交互中受益。两组都发展了对这种理论结构的非语言理解。令人惊讶的是，具有先验理论知识的专家会受益匪浅。

我们的发现对沉浸式VR学习环境具有启示意义，并为沉浸式VR，交互，理解，理解和建构主义学习的重要性及其之间的关系打开了未来的研究空间。