Exploring Multivariable Calculus Concepts in Virtual Reality: A Mixed-Methods Study
Medetoğulları E. (Yürütücü), Çelebi E. G.
Yükseköğretim Kurumları Destekli Proje, BAP Araştırma Projesi, 2026 - 2027
- Proje Türü: Yükseköğretim Kurumları Destekli Proje
- Destek Programı: BAP Araştırma Projesi
- Başlama Tarihi: Nisan 2026
- Bitiş Tarihi: Nisan 2027
Proje Özeti
This project investigates the experiential value of Virtual Reality (VR) environments in improving university students’ conceptual understanding of multivariable calculus, focusing on complex concepts such as gradients, level curves, and directional derivatives. The participants in this project are students who have already completed the Multivariable Calculus course. Using a Sequential Explanatory Mixed-Methods Design (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2018), the study integrates quantitative and qualitative approaches to capture both measurable learning gains and the underlying cognitive–emotional mechanisms driving these outcomes. In the quantitative phase, 16–20 undergraduate students who have completed a multivariable calculus course will participate in a VR-enhanced learning intervention. Students’ conceptual understanding will be measured a researcher-developed open-ended conceptual pre-post tests, grounded in representational and cognitive learning frameworks. The qualitative phase will employ semi-structured interviews, structured classroom observations, and researcher field notes to explore students’ lived experiences, sense-making, and spatial reasoning behaviors while interacting with 3D mathematical objects in VR. Engagement will be measured by two trained observers who will use a structured protocol to record behavioral, cognitive, and affective engagement indicators during VR sessions. Data triangulation and thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) will help identify cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes contributing to learning improvement. The integration of quantitative and qualitative findings will provide a holistic understanding of “what changes” and “why/how these changes occur” during VR-based learning. Expected outcomes include empirical evidence of VR’s effectiveness in enhancing conceptual and spatial reasoning in mathematics, as well as a pedagogical guide offering practical strategies for integrating VR into undergraduate calculus teaching. By combining rigorous methodological design with pedagogical innovation, the expected outcomes include (i) empirical insight into how VR supports deeper learning among students with prior calculus knowledge, and (ii) a pedagogical guide for instructors on implementing VR in undergraduate mathematics courses using accessible platforms such as CalcFlow, CalcVR, and GeoGebra MR.