Apprendere in tre dimensioni: il principio multimediale aumentato nella didattica a distanza immersiva delle lingue

The integration of online resources, particularly Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), into traditional language learning has become a topic of growing interest in recent years. Concurrently, the adoption of immersive extended reality (XR) technologies in education is on the rise, with a growing convergence with MOOC methodology. This study addresses the integration of immersive technologies into language learning to enhance learning effectiveness, with a specific focus on leveraging virtual reality (VR) activities in language MOOCs. Considering that XR media differ from two-dimensional media primarily due to the ability to explore the immersive environment through body motion, the research questions addressed in this work are as follows: I. What instructional design approach can effectively integrate VR activities into language MOOCs? II. How can the depth dimension, characteristic of the VR medium, be leveraged to foster effective language learning? The first research question is addressed through a theoretical exercise aimed at designing a version of the online english course at the University of Genoa that incorporates VR activities, following specific instructional design guidelines. To tackle the second research question, an experiment was conducted, analyzing the learning effectiveness of VR-adaptable activities from the course. The results showed that the implemented activities were effective in enhancing participant learning, while also revealing significant theoretical and methodological implications of leveraging depth perception in immersive language learning activities.