International Research Internship at CODIP: Learning Analytics for Immersive Virtual Reality Learning Experiences

International Research Internship at CODIP: Learning Analytics for Immersive Virtual Reality Learning Experiences

Since mid-July and through mid-August, Harlan Plass from New York University (NYU) has been visiting CODIP for a four-week research internship. Harlan is majoring in Computer and Data Science and minoring in Cognitive Neuroscience. The internship is being conducted and supervised in cooperation with the Chair of Psychology of Learning and Instruction, the Chair of Didactics of Physics, and the Faculty of Education at TU Dresden. During his stay, Harlan will gain insights into the work of the CODIP research group“Communities in Virtual Learning Spaces”while actively supporting one of our current research activities. This internship thus ties in with our efforts to foster the next generation of researchers, through which we involve students and early-career researchers at an early stage in research on immersive virtual reality and digital learning spaces.

The internship focuses on the research activity “CosmosVR – Making the Cosmos Tangible for All Learners.” In an experimental study, we investigated how different forms of formative feedback influence learning about lunar phases in an immersive VR learning environment. Harlan is focusing in particular on the extensive user log data from the VR application. Using data science and learning analytics methods, he is analyzing participants’ interaction and usage patterns and investigating to what extent these can provide additional explanations for the results of the experimental study. In doing so, he supplements the traditional statistical analysis with a detailed look at the actual learning and interaction processes within the virtual environment.

In addition to your own research work, the internship offers a wide range of insights into the research and teaching practices of the participating research areas. This includes observing media education seminars, attending a doctoral dissertation defense, and engaging in professional exchanges with members and associates of the research group. Informal get-togethers and joint cultural activities in and around Dresden complement the academic program and provide opportunities for personal and international exchange.

© Carolaschlösschen Dresden

We are very pleased with Harlan’s dedicated, independent, and reliable contribution and the time we have spent together in Dresden. For the remainder of his internship, we wish him many more exciting insights, productive analyses, and enriching exchanges, and we look forward to continuing our academic collaboration beyond the internship.

Further Reading:

Wehner-Bachetzky, P., Flegr, S., Hussein, B., Miah, T., Olsen, A., Dyrna, J., Proske, A., Köhler, T., Plass, J. L., & Narciss, S. (2026). Effect of feedback strategies for learning in virtual reality: An experimental study [Conference abstract]. EARLI SIG 6 & 7 Conference 2026, p. 178.