Field Notes (13): From Physical Feelings to Empathy

Can Virtual Reality (VR) Enhance Historical Empathy?

Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly being recognized as a powerful tool for reshaping how students engage with historical events. Dubbed an "empathy machine," VR offers users an immersive experience, allowing them to not only witness but also feel the emotional weight of historical narratives. In history education, a key objective is fostering historical empathy, which refers to the ability to understand and emotionally connect with the lived experiences of historical figures. This ability is vital for helping learners not only to grasp the facts but also to comprehend the emotions, motivations, and struggles of people from the past.

Xiuli Huang and Felicitas Macgilchrist (2024) investigate the role of immersive VR in fostering this deeper form of empathy. Specifically, they examine how different levels of immersion in VR impact students' ability to engage with historical content on both a cognitive and emotional level. Using Anne Frank’s story as a case study, the research explores how immersive VR (IVR) compares to more traditional flatscreen VR technology in teaching historical empathy.

Main Argument

The crux of Huang and Macgilchrist's study lies in the concept of "physical empathy"—a type of empathy that is closely tied to sensory and embodied experiences. The authors argue that immersive VR tools, which allow users to navigate historical environments physically, can evoke a stronger emotional and physical connection to historical figures than traditional learning methods or flatscreen VR. The study recruited 49 tenth-grade students from Germany, dividing them into two groups: one group used immersive VR headsets (IVR) to explore a 3D representation of Anne Frank's hiding place during World War II. In contrast, the other group used flatscreen VR (viewed on tablets) to engage with the same content.

While the quantitative results showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of knowledge acquisition or empathy scores, the qualitative data told a different story. Students in the IVR group reported a stronger "physical" connection to Anne Frank's experiences. They spoke about the claustrophobia of the small annex, the need to remain quiet to avoid detection, and the isolation she must have felt. This "physical empathy" allowed students to step into Anne Frank's world in a way that flat VR could not, suggesting that while immersive VR may not necessarily improve factual knowledge retention, it can create a deeper emotional and sensory engagement with historical narratives.

The Role of Physical Empathy in Historical Learning

Physical empathy refers to the process of feeling and understanding the emotions of historical figures through an embodied experience. In Huang and Macgilchrist's study, this is achieved by placing students in a virtual recreation of Anne Frank's secret annex, where they can interact with the environment and engage with the space as if they were physically present. This differs from flatscreen VR, where the experience is more passive, and students navigate the environment using clicks on a tablet screen rather than moving through space themselves.

In the IVR group, students expressed a heightened awareness of the physical challenges Anne Frank faced. Several students commented on how difficult it must have been to live in such cramped quarters for two years, always in fear of being discovered. For instance, one student noted how quiet the family had to be to avoid detection: “It’s hard to imagine how they could be so quiet for such a long time, especially during the day when workers were nearby.” Another student commented on the difficulty of not being able to use the bathroom freely, something that flat VR users did not highlight. These details, small as they may seem, represent a significant shift in how students engage with historical narratives when using immersive technology.

The ability to walk through the annex and pick up virtual objects, such as Anne’s diary or family mementos, allowed the students to connect with her life in a way that transcended mere observation. This level of interaction is a unique advantage of immersive VR. The sense of presence it creates is unmatched by other media, and it allows students to feel as if they are living within the historical moment. This immersive experience fosters a deeper emotional connection and enhances students’ understanding of the struggles and emotions that historical figures like Anne Frank experienced.

In contrast, students in the flatscreen VR group focused more on Anne Frank’s emotional state, such as her fear and isolation. Still, they lacked the sensory engagement that the IVR group experienced. While both groups displayed an empathetic understanding of Anne Frank's situation, the IVR group’s empathy was more deeply rooted in the physical experience of being in the space where these events took place.

The Challenges of Integrating VR into Historical Education

While immersive VR offers promising avenues for enhancing historical empathy, Huang and Macgilchrist also identify significant challenges in integrating this technology into classroom settings. The first major hurdle is cost. High-quality immersive VR systems, such as the Oculus Quest used in this study, are expensive and may be out of reach for many schools. In contrast, flatscreen VR, which can be accessed through tablets or smartphones, is more affordable and easier to implement on a larger scale. This financial barrier limits the widespread adoption of immersive VR in educational contexts, particularly in underfunded school districts.

In addition to cost, there are concerns about VR's effectiveness in fostering long-term knowledge retention. While the study showed that both the IVR and flatscreen VR groups gained knowledge about Anne Frank’s story, the difference in knowledge retention between the two groups was negligible. This raises questions about whether the emotional and sensory benefits of immersive VR are worth the investment, particularly when other, less expensive tools might achieve similar educational outcomes in terms of factual recall.

Another challenge is ensuring that the technology does not overshadow the content. As some participants noted, the novelty and "fun" of using immersive VR can sometimes distract from the learning objectives. One student remarked that while they enjoyed the experience of using the Oculus Quest, they were unsure how much they had actually learned. This highlights the need for careful integration of VR into the curriculum, ensuring that the technology enhances, rather than detracts from, the learning experience.

Gender Dynamics and Empathy Development

An interesting dimension of Huang and Macgilchrist’s study is the role of gender in empathy development. The data showed that female students reported higher levels of empathy after using both IVR and flatscreen VR compared to their male counterparts. This finding is consistent with broader research on empathy, which suggests that females tend to score higher on empathy-related measures than males. However, what is particularly noteworthy in this study is the way immersive VR seemed to amplify this gender difference.

In the IVR group, female students were more likely to describe their emotional and physical reactions to Anne Frank’s story. They commented on how her positive outlook in such difficult circumstances was inspiring, and they empathized with the physical discomforts she endured in the annex. One female student stated, “She was so positive despite everything she went through. It made me think about how hard it would be to keep that kind of attitude if I were in her place.” In contrast, male students were more likely to focus on practical aspects, such as the size of the annex or the logistics of hiding.

These findings suggest that immersive VR may resonate differently with learners depending on their gender, potentially offering more emotional engagement for some students than others. This raises important questions about how educators can ensure that VR tools are inclusive and cater to the needs of all students, regardless of gender. It also opens up avenues for further research into how different types of learners respond to immersive technologies and what factors influence their emotional engagement with historical content.

Concluding Thoughts

Huang and Macgilchrist's study offers a rich exploration of how immersive VR can deepen historical empathy by fostering what they term "physical empathy." The ability to physically navigate historical spaces and interact with virtual objects provides learners with a sensory and emotional experience that goes beyond traditional learning methods. While the study found no significant difference in knowledge retention between immersive VR and flatscreen VR, the qualitative data suggests that IVR has a unique ability to evoke a deeper, more embodied understanding of historical figures and their experiences.

The study also highlights the practical challenges of integrating immersive VR into classrooms. The high cost of equipment and the need for careful pedagogical design mean that immersive VR may not be feasible for all schools. Additionally, while the emotional benefits of IVR are clear, its impact on long-term learning outcomes remains uncertain.

Immersive VR holds great potential as a tool for fostering historical empathy, but it should not be seen as a one-size-fits-all solution. Educators must weigh the costs and benefits of using such technologies and consider how they can be integrated into broader curricular goals. As we continue to explore new ways of teaching history, immersive VR offers an exciting, albeit complex, tool for helping students connect emotionally and physically with the past.

References

Huang, X., & Macgilchrist, F. (2024). From physical feelings to empathy: An immersive virtual reality approach to facilitate physical empathy. Computers and Education Open, 7, 100215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeo.2024.100215