Impacts of a Novel Multi-User Virtual Reality Platform on English Vocabulary Learning among Junior High School Students

Virtual reality (VR)-assisted language learning has been trending in recent years, with many scholars exploring numerous possibilities of applying VR in L2 vocabulary learning. However, most previous empirical studies in VR-assisted vocabulary learning (VRVL) focused on single-user VR learning modes rather than multi-user VR (MUVR). To bridge this gap, the present study utilized a novel, high-fidelity, customizable, game-based MUVR platform on desktop computers. A quasi-experiment was first conducted with 50 Grade 8 students from a mixed-gender junior high school in Mainland China. Both the experimental and the control groups contained students at three different vocabulary proficiency levels (high, intermediate, and low level). Following the experiment, all 25 participants in the experimental group were invited to an individual semi-structured interview to share their perceptions. The results showed that both vocabulary gain and retention in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group. Also, the study found no significant differences in learning outcomes between genders, whereas performance varied significantly across vocabulary proficiency levels. Qualitative analysis revealed that most students expressed positive attitudes towards the MUVR-assisted vocabulary learning, though some noted technical challenges. Furthermore, three new constructs—collaborative learning, motivation, and co-presence—emerged from the study, contributing to an expanded framework for MUVR-assisted vocabulary learning, which builds upon the existing theoretical framework of VRVL.