Bridging the Gap: Adaptive Teaching Strategies for Low Spatial Learners in Networking Education

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-745-3_16How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Immersive Virtual Reality; Spatial Visualization Ability; Inclusive Learning Strategies; Polytechnics

Abstract

This study evaluates the pedagogical viability of Virtual Reality (VR) as a responsive instructional mechanism designed to assist students with underdeveloped spatial visualization skills in acquiring the complex and abstract structures of the OSI Model in computer networking curricula. Executed at Politeknik Balik Pulau, the investigation encompassed 80 Semester 2 networking students whose spatial reasoning profiles were determined via the Spatial Visualization Ability Test Instrument (SVATI) developed by Alias [2]. The SVATI is a validated 20-item instrument with a Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.82, confirming its reliability in categorising learners into high-spatial and low-spatial subpopulations. Instruction was administered through two contrasting modalities: immersive VR facilitated by Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs) and a non-immersive, desktop-based VR configuration, both designed to represent the OSI Model topology. A quasi-experimental quantitative design incorporating pre- and post-test assessments was employed to measure conceptual error reduction across groups. Analysis demonstrated a 40% reduction in conceptual errors among low-spatial learners exposed to the immersive condition, evidencing VR’s capacity to attenuate spatial-analytical impediments. The study affirms the promise of immersive environments in fostering inclusive, cognitively equitable pedagogies, and delineates scalable modalities for curriculum renewal within Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this license to share adapted material derived from this chapter or parts of it.

Download article (PDF)

TY  - CONF
AU  - Siti Nazurah Hashim
AU  - Mohd Razif Mustapha
AU  - Asnidatul Adilah Ismail
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/24
TI  - Bridging the Gap: Adaptive Teaching Strategies for Low Spatial Learners in Networking Education
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Research, Innovation, Sustainability, and Educations (IRISECON 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 233
EP  - 239
SN  - 3091-4442
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-745-3_16
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-745-3_16
ID  - Hashim2026
ER  -