The Impact of Immersive Virtual Learning Environments and Teacher Digital Competence on Knowledge Retention: The Mediating Role of Experiential Learning

Abstract

The paper explores how Immersive Virtual Learning Environments (IVLEs) and teacher digital competence (TDC) affect knowledge retention (KR), and how experiential learning quality (ELQ) mediates the relationship in the context of higher education institutions. KR is one of the indicators of educational effectiveness in adaptive learning ecosystems, particularly as universities are starting to embrace more immersive technologies and digitally enhanced pedagogies to enhance student learning outcomes. The context of the study is the Jordanian higher education where the universities are experiencing a rapid digital transformation amid the country-wide education modernization efforts. Nevertheless, the variations in technological infrastructure and pedagogical preparedness among institutions offer discrepancies to the efficiency of the immersive learning system. Thus, the research will be based on the universities in Amman, Jordan, both public and private, which are accredited by the Jordanian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Structured questionnaires were used to gather data among students and faculty involved in the immersive and virtual learning setup. Four hundred questionnaires were sent out and 260 replies were returned; of the 240 valid responses that were obtained after filtering incomplete ones, 240 valid questionnaires were analyzed. AMOS-based Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesis. The findings suggest that IVLEs and TDC have a significant positive impact on KR, and ELQ partly mediates this effect by reinforcing engagement and cognitive absorption, extending the ALET and ELT models, and providing valuable advice to universities in Jordan to enhance immersive infrastructure and teacher digital preparedness toward sustainable learning outcomes.