Immersive vs. Document-Based Virtual Learning: How Interface Design Shapes Attention and Critical Th

As online education continues to expand, especially for STEM instruction, questions about how digital learning environments shape attention and higher-order thinking have become increasingly important. This panel presents a controlled experimental study examining whether immersive virtual learning environments foster stronger critical-thinking performance than traditional document-based formats, with direct relevance for educators, instructional designers, and institutions scaling online curricula without sacrificing rigour. Using the SciTrek Bioinformatics module, a structured, inquiry-based curriculum focused on gene regulation and cancer biology, we compare two instructional conditions that deliver identical content through different interfaces. One group completes the module in an immersive, integrated online environment, while the other uses a document-based Google Docs workbook. By holding curriculum, instruction, timing, and assessments constant across groups, the study isolates the role of interface design in shaping student engagement, task focus, and scientific reasoning. To capture learning processes in real time, the project employs webcam-based eye tracking (RealEye) to measure students’ visual attention to task-relevant instructional elements, including simulations, data panels, and integrated activities. Task-Relevant Areas of Interest (TR-AOIs) are defined for each condition: in the immersive format, TR-AOIs include interactive elements housed on a single coherent webpage, while in the document-based condition, TR-AOIs include linked activities accessed through the workbook. Attention is quantified using dwell time in TR-AOIs, transitions among TR-AOIs, and time to first fixation on key instructional components. These attention metrics are paired with multiple measures of critical thinking, including hypothesis development, data interpretation, knowledge transfer, troubleshooting, and explanation quality. Panelists will discuss how immersive design influences sustained task focus, whether visual attention predicts learning outcomes, and whether attention statistically mediates the relationship between interface design and performance. The panel will also address methodological considerations in educational eye-tracking research, including calibration reliability, data-quality thresholds, and mixed-effects modeling. Attendees will leave with actionable insights into how interface coherence and attention allocation can support deeper understanding and stronger reasoning in online learning.