RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 Exploring age-related differences in immersive Virtual Reality experiences for Cultural Heritage
A1 Rodríguez García, Bruno
A1 Miguel Alonso, Inés
A1 Checa Cruz, David
A1 Bustillo Iglesias, Andrés
K1 Virtual Reality
K1 Human Computer Interaction
K1 User experience
K1 Children
K1 Age
K1 User Centered Design
K1 Realidad virtual
K1 Virtual reality
AB Immersive Virtual Reality (iVR) has reached a level of technological maturity that enables its use for the general public. However, further investigation is needed into the optimization of iVR applications and particularly, their design features in relation to various user characteristics such as age and previous iVR experience. To solve this issue, this study evaluates a Cultural Heritage dissemination experience in iVR, tested in a real-world setting, the Museum of Burgos (Spain), with participants from three age groups: children, young adults, and older adults. The iVR experience was structured in four levels of progressively complex interaction. A control group was formed to view a video containing the same dissemination content. A total of 206 participants completed a three-steps assessment measuring prior knowledge, User Experience (UX), and learning outcomes. The findings emphasized that iVR's strengths, immersion and interactivity, must be strategically optimized to outperform more well-stablished dissemination formats like video. The results showed that children responded positively to high interactivity; their motivation and rapid adaptation supported the use of interactive formats, provided cognitive demands are gradually introduced. Young adults exhibited the highest adaptability and fastest completion times, performing well across all interaction types, though with moderate UX ratings. Older adults preferred soft interaction and immersive aesthetics, achieving better learning outcomes in this context but extending the time to complete the iVR experience.
PB Springer
SN 1359-4338
YR 2026
FD 2026-09
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10259/12208
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10259/12208
LA eng
NO Open access funding provided by FEDER European Funds and the Junta de Castilla y León under the Research and Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialization (RIS3) of Castilla y León 2021-2027. Funding was provided by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación and by the European Union"NextGenerationEU"/PRTR funds, through Humanaid project (TED2021-129485B-C43) and REMAR project (CPP2022-009724).
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Burgos
RD 01-oct-2026