Research on Art Teaching Practice Supported by Virtual Reality (VR) Technology in the Primary Schools

Abstract

Nowadays, teaching and learning methods are constantly changing with the development and popularization of information technology. Many teaching activities are exploring the integration of virtual technology. However, the specific effects of VR are challenging to verify. In this paper, “teaching in VR environment” and “traditional teaching” were designed to carry out a series of teaching comparison practices between two groups of a primary school. By analyzing the experimental data of the experimental group and the control group, the research found that it is easier to enter mental flow in virtual reality, and the introduction of virtual reality technology is positively correlated with learning engagement. What is more, compared with traditional teaching and learning methods, virtual reality technology and related software can help individuals give full play to their creativity.

1. Introduction

In recent decades, virtual reality (VR), like other experimental technologies born in response to scientific research, has broken through the science barrier to reach content creators and end-users, making it more accessible [1].

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are generating popularity in this digitally connected world due to their huge strategic potential. VR and AR are currently creating educational and creative trends, with important implications for many studies and initiatives [2,3]. In any case, the phrases “innovation”, “creativity”, “immersion”, “fascination”, “technology”, and “information” define and complement the concept of virtual reality. There has been tremendous growth in scientific publications [4,5], reflecting the global academic environment’s influence [6].

Virtual reality technology is the most advanced form of human-computer interaction, and this relationship enables instant interaction with the user and the AR environment; an environment designed to stimulate some or all of the human senses, contained by the creation of perceptions through images and thus direct intervention inside this virtual environment [7]. The user is engrossed in a computer-generated artificial three-dimensional (3D) situation and is oblivious to his surroundings [8].

VR gives users access to real-time experiences in a 3D world while also allowing them to participate in interactive situations that give them the sensation of being in another place. It can now be linked in many areas of teaching and learning, integrating with various techniques, pedagogies, and styles, and allowing students to gain knowledge and be the primary actor in their educational process to updates and new low-cost apps. As a result, it has become an indispensable tool in various fields, including science, geography, heritage, art, and culture, because it creates a unique environment that piques people’s interest and motivates them to learn more [9,10]. The positive image of virtual reality emerges from digital interfaces’ ability to infiltrate the student’s mind through engaging visual experiences, adding value to education and often difficult subjects to address.

This paper first sorts out the application and exploration of virtual reality technology worldwide and then summarizes its present situation in art teaching. Then, it analyzes the advantages and feasibility of using virtual reality technology in art teaching and repeatedly carries out comparative teaching practices according to theories. By analyzing the experimental data of the experimental group and the control group, the research content of this paper was explored. In order to study sub-question 1, “whether VR technology promotes students’ understanding of knowledge”, the experiment allowed two groups of experimental subjects to learn the same content in different ways and analyzed the collected experimental group’s technical acceptance scale scores. Sub-question 2, “whether VR technology improves learners learning engagement”, was based on sub-question 1 and adopted experimental research methods. The experimental group introduced virtual reality technology in different teaching steps, using VR software platforms and VR hardware headsets to assist teaching, while the control group adopted traditional teaching methods. After the experiment was over, a comprehensive analysis of the collected learners’ engagement and mental flow was carried out. Sub-question 3, “whether virtual reality environment can affect the mental flow”, was based on the previous two studies. It analyzed the corresponding indicators by scoring students’ works under different teaching styles.

2. Literature Review

The information and knowledge society is a recent development that has impacted human beings. It is defined by information technology, which allows for organizing data into networks and allows people to access, share, and process data remotely and in real-time [11]. Furthermore, one of its characteristics is the increasing importance of information communication technologies (ICTs) [12,13,14], which impacts every part of our life, including what we know and how we learn. They have also ushered in a pedagogical shift that promotes and supports real-world experiences and activities that promote deeper, interactive learning [15,16]. Due to the widespread acceptance of virtual reality is now seen as cutting-edge technology with enormous potential for integration into the educational system. Pioneers emerged in the 1960s, through their inventiveness and innovation, created precedents for smart glasses or other collaborative virtual gadgets, such as spectacles, which would later be developed with greater sophistication by businesses like Google [17,18].

Mental flow, also known as flow, was first proposed by American positive psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. It is a mental state in which a person is completely immersed in an activity for its own sake, turning a blind eye to other things around him and shielding irrelevant thoughts and perceptions. Getting into this best state of consciousness is accompanied by a high degree of excitement and fulfillment. As a result, people are happier and more creative. In addition, they are more productive when they are highly focused on what they are doing at the moment.

Studies have shown that flow, as a positive emotional feeling, its production includes cross-activity, cross-class, cross-age, and cross-cultural factors [19].

2.1. The Application of VR in Education

For domestic research, CNKI is mainly used as the data source. The visual analysis software CiteSpace.5.7.R2 is used for diversity analysis, including annual publication volume analysis, author analysis, institution cooperation network analysis, keyword co-occurrence network analysis, etc. The final retrieval time is 21 August 2021. Articles such as conferences, newspapers, and yearbooks are excluded from obtaining data sources. The main keywords and data statistics are shown in

Table 1. Keywords citation frequency statistics table.

Word Frequency	Year of Exist	Keywords	Word Frequency	Year of Exist	Keywords
882	1995	VR	40	2007	Educational games
534	2000	VR Technology	37	2012	Unity3d
191	1995	Teaching Reform	36	2001	Constructivism
155	2000	Distance Education	36	2007	Interactive
144	2004	VR Technology	36	1997	Multimedia Technology
134	2002	Virtual Reality Experiment	34	1997	Interactivity
133	1995	VR	33	2016	Educational application
124	1995	Education	33	2008	VR Tool
114	1999	VRml	33	2001	The internet
102	2003	Application	32	2002	Teaching Design
83	1995	Educational Technology	32	2005	Practical Teaching
77	2000	Virtual laboratory	30	2000	Artificial Intelligence
64	2002	Experimental teaching	28	2012	Safety Education
61	2012	Augmented Reality	27	1995	VR virtual reality
61	1998	Medical education	27	2010	Educational Information
58	2002	Information Technology	27	2002	3D Modeling
58	2006	Vocational Education	26	2002	Online Education
54	1999	Multimedia	25	2001	Modern Education Technology
49	2004	Higher Vocational Education	24	1995	AR Augmented Reality
47	2002	Teaching mode	23	2004	Higher Education
46	2008	Virtual Simulation	23	2005	Teaching Application
41	2005	Teaching	23	2004	Web3d

.

The co-word analysis method was used to analyze the current application and development of VR in education to give a constructive direction to the research on the in-depth integration of VR and education.

From the literature search, it can be understood that China’s VR research began in the early 1970s, and its application in the education field started relatively late. Nowadays, VR technology has been introduced to K12, universities, vocational schools, technical schools, scientific research institutes, and various training institutions, basically covering the application of various disciplines. As an efficient teaching mode, VR+ education is ushering in a stage of rapid development [20].

2.2. Application of VR

Research on virtual reality technology in art teaching was mainly carried out for different learning stages. Gao Qian put forward the goal of setting scenes in three dimensions in art teaching: reality-oriented enrichment of experience and knowledge, perception as the foundation to expand the imagination space, and interaction as a way to enhance emotional cognition [21]. Wang Jinhua proposed applying virtual reality technology to normal students’ sketch learning, conducting experiments through task assignments, and scoring according to different indicators [22]. The data shows that VR technology has effectively improved the efficiency and quality of learning in terms of styling composition and shaping space. Liu Dejian et al. pointed out that the essence of virtual reality art teaching resources is not the introduction of new teaching tools but the integration of new methods and the output of new teaching content [23]. In researching augmented reality technology in art teaching, Lu Lingyu designed a “coloring game course” with coloring MIX software. She concluded that the application of augmented reality technology in art teaching is feasible, which conforms to the law of students’ physical and mental development and has great application value in teaching practice combined with the characteristics of art teaching [22].

2.2.1. Dilemma of Fine Arts Teaching

Through literature review, the main problem existing in the current art teaching process in primary and secondary schools is that the teaching objectives of different types of courses do not match the actual teaching. The following will give specific examples of mismatch problems in demonstration classes, appreciation classes, and art handicraft teaching. In addition, art teaching is also affected by problems such as the inconsistency of teaching conditions and actual teaching [24] and the external factors in the teaching process.

In the traditional demonstration teaching of fine arts, to facilitate the students to watch and learn, the teacher is always the only subject of demonstration, and the blackboard is the most commonly used tool for demonstration. Due to the limitation of conditions, there are few physical demonstrations. This passive way of learning makes it difficult for students to strengthen their memory [25]. Furthermore, sometimes it is impossible to accommodate every child because of the classroom space or presentation angles [25]. As a key step to cultivating students’ creativity, the lack of student participation is not conducive to stimulating learners’ sense of autonomous learning [25]. In student creation, the teacher is accustomed to oral presentation or modification based on the original work. Such a demonstration method is not conducive to students’ art creation; they are likely to lose the space for the exertion and cannot clearly understand the meaning of the teacher’s guidance [25].

Due to limited conditions in the current art appreciation teaching, it is not easy to visit and feel immersive. The reduction degree and cost of simulation crafts more or less affect learners’ experience. Therefore, knowledge learning replaces most experiential learning. The original intention of appreciation learning is to allow students to appreciate and understand nature from various perspectives. By appreciating the material, content, and features of works, they can mobilize their visual and auditory feelings to appreciate the beauty of art and improve their aesthetic ability to create their works [26]. Some scholars pointed out that the biggest problem in appreciation art classes is that teachers have not yet clear course goals and cannot implement teaching according to the goals during the teaching process. The current teaching methods are challenging to meet the expected goals and intentions, making the teaching steps out of touch [27]. The use of information technology can enrich teaching resources and forms, create an immersive teaching atmosphere, and help students better appreciate and feel artworks.

In the current art handicraft teaching, art handicraft class intends to exercise children’s hands-on and technical abilities and enhance imagination, creativity, collaboration, and social skills [28]. It is a comprehensive aesthetic education for students, and Some teachers believe that “art handicraft course” and “manual and technological course” are almost the same. Both of them emphasize hands-on practice. The “manual and technological course” is mainly to cultivate students’ love of labor, and it is a subject based on practice [28]. Art handicraft course is to enhance students’ aesthetic ability and creativity. However, these two courses are different from other disciplines, and they are broad disciplines that cultivate students’ hands-on ability [28].

In addition, the difference between art teaching and other conventional courses is that different types of teaching scenes and classrooms are required according to the needs of teaching content. For example, “Design and application” courses ask for a wide variety of materials according to the target requirements. Due to the limited time allocated for each class and the many items before and after class, it is challenging to complete such courses within the prescribed teaching time, which often leads to the loss of teaching content. Teachers also reported not clarifying whether the relevant materials were learning tools or teaching tools, making the expenses unknown [29]. Due to the different teaching conditions of different schools, the expenditure of funds is correspondingly different [29]. In addition to text description and teacher’s oral expression, the teaching of design requires students to personally feel the material and explore the meaning of art in the process of actual creation [29]. If these conditions are not guaranteed, it is difficult to carry out activities and achieve the expected teaching effects. Different teaching scenarios can be created through technology integration, allowing students to experience the mysteries of different types of art learning in the same environment [29]. With some interactive software, students can repeatedly try to complete the creation without considering the cost of failure [29].

2.2.2. The Application of VR in Fine Arts

According to literature retrieval, virtual reality technology in fine arts is mainly concentrated in the following courses. Art masterpieces appreciation course is a necessary part of art teaching to lead students to appreciate world-famous works of art such as paintings, sculptures, and architecture. Multimedia equipment in traditional teaching is challenging to achieve detailed and close multidimensional observation. It is difficult to break through the original plane observation [30]. However, the virtual space environment created by virtual reality technology can take students to experience the three-dimensional architectural design as if in person.

Interactive work creation practical courses. Students can use virtual reality technology to create artistic works, such as clay sculptures, space design, and so on. Virtual reality technology solves the limitation of raw materials and space, opens up new creative space for students, expands their artistic creation imagination, and stimulates their interest in artistic creation. With the interactive features of virtual reality technology, students can create artworks and flip and rotate their works in open minds [31]. Later, students’ works in virtual space can also be converted into real works through 3D printing and other technologies.

Innovative art learning courses. Virtual reality technology will get rid of the traditional teaching model of indoctrination, break through the limitations of time and space, expand the scope of art classrooms, bring students into various art museums to visit and teach, and expand students’ horizons [32]. It provides students with many creative materials, cultivates innovative thinking, and stimulates their creative inspiration.

3. Design and Implementation of the Research

This paper made an in-depth study of the theory and practice of art teaching. It used virtual reality technology to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of introducing VR technology into art teaching by setting up experimental and control groups through multi-session teaching verification. It redesigned the teaching of “Mighty General” and “Southern Song Dynasty Official Kiln”, the third-grade courses of primary school fine arts. It added relevant VR software and hardware head displays in the experimental groups’ teaching activities to verify the effect of virtual reality technology on primary school fine arts teaching. Specifically, the two research questions are as follows:

Research Question (I): Can VR technology benefits learning? It is further crystallized into three sub-questions:

• Whether Virtual Reality technology can promote learners’ understanding of knowledge?
• Whether Virtual Reality technology is indirectly conducive to improving learning engagement?
• Whether the virtual reality environment can affect mental flow?

Research Question (II): Can VR technology stimulate learners’ creativity?

3.1. Research Subject

According to the requirements of teaching design, the third-grade students in a school in Jinhua city, Zhejiang province, China, were taken as the teaching objects. The experimental group and control group had 27 and 25 students, respectively. The same teacher taught each course, and the teaching environment was adjusted according to the teaching content and needs.

In order to ensure the reliability of the experiment, the first experiment group is Class 301, was selected as the experimental group and Class 302 as the control group. The second experiment reversed the two groups, with Class 301 as the control group and Class 302 as the experimental group.

3.2. Experimental Scenarios and Tools

3.2.1. Experimental Measurement Tools

In order to study learners’ understanding of knowledge proposed in Question 1, and according to the teaching objectives, teaching content, and knowledge emphasized by teachers, the author designed the examinations of “Southern Song Dynasty Official Kiln” under the guidance of professional art teachers, which is mainly used for after-school tests.

Previous studies have studied learners’ creativity in class through a comprehensive investigation of divergent thinking, distant association, insight test, and other aspects. The paper thought of a way to reflect the change of individual creativity indirectly through the comprehensive expression of works. Therefore, in combination with the teaching content in the early stage, the experiment designed the same creation task, which students themselves played. The scale adopted the work creativity scale developed by David H. Cropley [33], tested for reliability by experts.

In order to investigate the mental flow and learning engagement of learners, the teaching experiment was completed by teachers’ speech, students’ independent creation, and collaborative communication. In this process, learners’ engagement and mental flow would be affected to varying degrees [34]. Therefore, the scale designed by Csikszentmihalyi et al. was used as a reference in this study’s mental flow state survey [35].

3.2.2. Experimental Environment and Equipment

The environment required for the experiment was an ordinary classroom. Since the experimental subject school was equipped with a dedicated virtual reality classroom, the two courses of the experimental group were carried out in this classroom. In contrast, the control group was carried out in an ordinary classroom. The VR classroom was equipped with a teacher machine, 30 sets of PICO VR integrated headset displays, and the HTCVIVE series of VR headsets connected to the teacher’s equipment. The teacher could perform switch operations, content sending, and simple equipment management on each student’s equipment (Figure 1).

The experimental group teaching equipment support (Figure 2) is as follows:

The G2 4K VR all-in-one machine with Pico was equipped with a motion-sensing handle, convenient for students to wear and use. The following picture shows the usage illustration (Figure 3).

HTCVIVE series head display was adopted for students’ creation process, with a refresh rate of 90 Hz, accurate, clear, and suitable for human physiological structure. The head display was equipped with an operating handle and positioned for flexible operation. The following Figure 4 shows the usage of VR.

3.2.3. Software Platform

The ceramic making software and teaching resources used in this course were jointly developed with Chuanhe Technology Co., Ltd. (Hangzhou, China) The software was developed based on the Unity3D engine. The software was developed and designed after carefully planning the porcelain manufacturing process. In the actual process, porcelain production requires at least the steps of smelting, drawing, printing, cutting, drying, glazing, and kiln firing. In addition to restoring the above processing steps, the software platform also added interactive experiences in each step in order to increase the interest in learning, once again beautifying the original works. Students could experience the above processes quickly and design their works in a virtual space. They could also print the finished works as models for display through a 3D printer.

4. Results and Analysis

The experiment uses virtual reality technology to verify the teaching of multiple sessions and set up experimental cases to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the introduction of VR technology in teaching (Figure 5).

The two courses’ relevant measurement data are shown in

Table 2. Descriptive statistics of learning effect.

Descriptive Statistics
		N	Range	Mean	S.D.	Variance
Mental Flow Score	EG	23	64	147.04	16.069	258.225
	CG	23	85	134.43	19.856	394.257
Learning Engagement Score	EG	23	27	134.13	7.754	60.119
	CG	23	76	95.57	15.084	227.530
Academic Score	EG	23	20	89.43	5.696	32.439
	CG	23	29	79.87	7.701	59.300

EG: Experimental Group; CG: Control Group.

. From the perspective of the average result, it can be revealed that the creativity of the control group is lower than that of the experimental group supported by VR technology. In comparison, no clear difference can be observed in the mental flow and learning engagement score. From the light of variance, the two groups have similar fluctuations in the four dimensions, indicating that individual differences may affect the learning effect.

According to the descriptive statistics, from the average data, the overall score of class b is higher than class a. The questionnaires filled out by two classes are not related. The independent sample T-test has been used to verify the differences between a, b classes after using the VR technology (

Table 3. Independent Sample T-test.

Independent Sample Test
		Levene Variance Equality Test		Mean Equality T-Test
		F	Sig.	T	Degrees of Freedom	Sig. (2-Tailed)
Creativity	Equal Variances Assumed	0.402	0.529	−3.560	44	0.001
	Equal Variances Not Assumed			−3.560	43.973	0.001
Mental Flow Score	Equal Variances Assumed	0.641	0.428	−2.367	44	0.022
	Equal Variances Not Assumed			−2.367	42.167	0.023
Learning Score	Equal Variances Assumed	1.992	0.165	−4.789	44	0.000
	Equal Variances Not Assumed			−4.789	40.526	0.000
Learning Engagement Score	Equal Variances Assumed	1.739	0.194	−10.905	44	0.000
	Equal Variances Not Assumed			−10.905	32.867	0.000

and

Table 4. Independent Sample Test.

Independent Sample Test
		Mean Equality T-Test
		Mean Deviation	Standard Error Deviation	95% Confidence Interval of Difference
				Lower Bound	Upper Bound
Creativity	Equal Variances Assumed	−7.217	2.027	−11.303	−3.131
	Equal Variances Not Assumed	−7.217	2.027	−11.303	−3.131
Mental Flow Score	Equal Variances Assumed	−12.609	5.326	−23.343	−1.874
	Equal Variances Not Assumed	−12.609	5.326	−23.356	−1.861
Learning Score	Equal Variances Assumed	−9.565	1.997	−13.590	−5.540
	Equal Variances Not Assumed	−9.565	1.997	−13.600	−5.530
Learning Engagement Score	Equal Variances Assumed	−38.565	3.536	−45.692	−31.438
	Equal Variances Not Assumed	−38.565	3.536	−45.761	−31.369

).

Hypothesis  1.

$H_0$no significant difference can be seen in the four dimensions.

From Table 3, it is noticeable that the Levene Variance Equality Test statistic is greatly higher than 0.05, so the data of assumed equal variances should be considered. The figures of the four dimensions are sig = 0.001 (creativity), sig = 0.022 (mental flow), sig = 0.222 (learning score) and sig = 0.000 (learning engagement), respectively. Both are far lower than 0.05, so the initial hypothesis should be turned down. It should be assumed that a and b classes have an obvious difference in the score of the four dimensions, so VR technology can drastically influence the teaching process. Here it should be noted that the mean deviation (0.022) of mental flow is comparatively high. The underlying reason may be the short duration of a class (40 min), so the students cannot have an immersive experience of the VR equipment. However, the difference can be made in such a short time that the positive effect of VR can be proved.

In exploring research question 2 (Whether Virtual Reality technology is indirectly conducive to improving learners’ creativity?), the teachers randomly determine the selection of experimental class or control class due to the scientificity. To ensure the experiment’s effectiveness, the two groups’ creativity was pre-tested given the last three works of this semester, and professional teachers were invited to rate the creativity of these works. The specific representations of the work created in this study are relevance, effectiveness, novelty, superiority, and creative expression. By comparing their pretest result, there is no significant difference in the initial creativity between the two groups so that the follow-up research can be carried out (

Table 5. Work Creativity Pretest T-Test.

	Group	N	Mean	SD	T	P
Work Creativity	Experimental Group	27	3.335	0.425	0.355	0.733
	Control Group	25	3.323	0.433

and

Table 6. Work Creativity Post-test Comparison.

	Group	N	M	SD	Variance
1st Experiment	Experimental Class 301	27	77.00	0.355	0.733
	Control Class 302	25	69.78	6.961	48.451
2nd Experiment	Experimental Class 301	25	75.50	6.619	48.990
	Control Class 302	25	71.00	6.789	47.091

).

In the work creation procedure of the “Southern Song Dynasty Official Kiln” course, the experimental class 301 used VR pottery software to design their works. While The control class 302 used paper and pen to complete it. Then the learners would explain their ideas.

To avoid the interference and limitations of VR technology on the work creation, in the course “Terracotta Warriors and Horses”, both two groups created their work with clay tools, with the intervention only implemented in the teaching procedures.

As shown in the work creativity, the creativity score of the experimental group is higher than that of the control group, which means that the Virtual Reality technology has promoted students’ creativity to a certain extent. It has a positive effect on the cultivation of creativity. According to teachers’ feedback, students in the experimental group have a slightly better command of the details in the creation procedures due to the more intuitive and comprehensive impression in the immersive environment.

5. Discussion

The results of data analysis show that learners have a high acceptance of the introduction of VR technology in teaching and are more likely to enter the mental flow in the virtual reality situation. The introduction of VR is positively correlated with the degree of learning engagement, which is conducive to understanding knowledge. The application of VR technology and related software is helpful to the creativity of individuals. The end of the paper reflects on the shortcomings in the practice process and hopes that this research can provide valuable references for educators.

The application of technology and the innovation of means always need to go through a long process. There is no overnight achievement, and breakthroughs must be achieved through continuous attempts and explorations. Virtual reality technology is still in a state of sullenness. However, it is believed that with the continuous iteration of emerging technologies and the continuous optimization of experience, virtual reality technology will eventually highlight its advantages [36]. This paper mainly includes two parts of research: teaching design and practical application. The research results show that virtual reality technology can promote art learning. At the same time, it also brings enlightenment to teaching design and classroom teaching.

When hardware becomes popular, content production is the primary battlefield for VR educational content developers [37]. In response to the problem of resource incompatibility, two suggestions are provided: Firstly, in teaching resources development, professional R&D teams need to be in close contact with the teachers to inform each other about the technical difficulty and implementation effects. From the perspective of all students, students’ learning situation should be considered in material dubbing and other aspects to make the teaching content interesting and lively and realize the optimization of teaching [38]. Secondly, provide teachers with a simple and easy-to-operate creation platform that allows teachers to carry out secondary editing and development to facilitate the implementation of personalized teaching. It is beneficial to improve teaching quality and efficiency while reducing development costs [39].

In fact, in addition to trying to introduce virtual reality technology in art courses, the school as a research subject is also exploring the possibility of applying VR in more disciplines. The current education is called future-oriented education. The normalized application of virtual reality technology is the goal of joint efforts. However, applying new technologies in education does not mean that traditional media has lost its application value in teaching. There are many ways to integrate virtual reality technology into teaching. Thus, teachers should fully consider the characteristics of the media and choose different forms of media to present according to the different emphasis of teaching.

With the advent of the 5G era, features such as low latency, large bandwidth, and cloud transmission will also become popular in schools and homes. At the same time, the integration of AR, AI, and other technologies will bring learners a richer experience. In the design and development process, it should be noted that too many complex stimuli may easily cause cognitive overload. For example, VR creates an immersive experience and often uses a variety of audio, image, and text to convey information, which leads to redundancy [23]. Therefore, the presentation of the content should also appropriately refer to the relevant design principles to avoid counterproductive effects. Technology brings to education is the change of the learning environment or the supply and support of technology platforms and the generation of new teaching methods. It is believed that the application effect of technology in education will be significantly improved.

6. Conclusions

This paper intends to apply virtual reality technology to teaching, optimize teaching through effect analysis, explore the ways and strategies of integrating virtual reality into teaching, and truly use technology to lead teaching reform. At the beginning of teaching practice, this paper sorted out the related literature on the application of virtual reality technology in education and labor technology education, figured out the current problems in classroom teaching, and analyzed the feasibility of using virtual reality technology in art teaching. Based on the characteristics of virtual reality technology and the teaching requirements of art courses, after two times classroom experiments, the following conclusions were obtained:

First of all, as “digital natives” in the information age, primary school learners highly accept the application of virtual reality technology in the art classroom. They recognize and adapt to such teaching methods, and do not have learning disabilities due to the introduction of new technology, showing a high willingness to accept. Especially in the operation of the software platform, students show that it is easier to get started than adult teachers.

Secondly, experimental data and interview results show that the application of virtual reality technology is favorable for improving classroom teaching effects. On the one hand, technology promotes learners’ understanding of knowledge, especially that detailed knowledge that cannot be fully considered in traditional teaching [6]. At the same time, students have a better grasp of the key content of the teaching. On the other hand, learners in the virtual reality teaching environment can enter a deeper flow state. It allows learners to concentrate on the learning situation in a shorter time. What is more, VR technology enhances learners’ engagement. Different teaching resources and organizational forms make students concentrate and highly engaged in the classroom.

Thirdly, Virtual reality technology enhances the creative performance of learners. Virtual reality technology can bring learners more inspiration and imagination, and it is more conducive to creativity in an immersive creative environment. Meanwhile, the additional tools in the software can also provide help for learners to create works, inspire creativity, and optimize works.

As a limitation of our work, this research was conducted on Art teaching in primary school, and the application of the research in other levels of studies and different teaching subjects may have different results. This limitation will allow us to conduct additional research regarding different levels of primary, secondary, and high school students. Applying this research to different teaching subjects will allow comparing the improvement of classroom teaching and how technology promotes learners’ understanding and knowledge. The use of VR devices is quite heavy, and extended use can cause headaches and neck pain for students in primary schools, and the initial costs are extremely high. This limitation can continue for a decade to come until VR costs are reduced.