2.1. Research Questions

This study began with the following questions.

2.2. Research Objectives

Starting with the two research questions posed above, this study aims to propose a detailed and robust design plan for a VR-based library user education program.

2.3. Research Procedure

This study was conducted according to the following methods or steps to achieve the objectives already stated.

First, in terms of the main theory and associated technologies of VR, the VR positioning elements of public libraries and the composition of user education were systematically reviewed. The effects of VR-based education were also analyzed from previous studies on the subject.

Second, VR-related cases and technology used in library services in countries such as the United States (US), Canada, Singapore, and Korea were analyzed to derive ‘best practices’ in finding ways to design library user education programs.

Third, a design plan for a VR-based library user education program was proposed, focusing on the results and possible implications sought through designed case studies and analyses.

3.1. VR

In January 2016, as the term ‘fourth industrial revolution’ appeared at the World Economic Forum, VR also drew considerable attention. The Fourth Industrial Revolution refers to a change in which technology convergences as the boundaries between digital, physical, and biological domains disappear. In other words, it refers to the era of ‘hyper-connectedness’ in which the real world and virtual space, such as people, machines, intelligence, and services are connected centering on data (Korea Institute of Design Promotion, 2016).

VR is part of a spectrum of related technologies ranging from mostly real experiences to completely virtual experiences, such as augmented reality, augmented virtuality, and mixed reality (Milgram et al., 1995). VR is commonly defined as an experience in which users remain physically within their real world while entering a virtual world (comprising three-dimensional objects) using a headset with a computer or a mobile device (Lessick & Kraft, 2017).

Brooks (1999) presented four important technologies in VR as follows:

VR or AR is a phenomenon that has been in its varying growth stages for years (in the case of VR, decades, as far back as the 1930s). But today, with a headset available to some and a hand-held device available to many, it benefits library users who are fully expecting such enriched services in the future to include VR or AR (Massis, 2015).

In particular, VR environments can contribute to increasing the motivation of learners as well as to the enhancement of exploration and problem-solving skills. This is done by enabling multimedia learning environments that have been utilized so far in education and through three-dimensional stereoscopic environments (Leem, 2001). Furthermore, VR technology is a highly potential tool for supporting learning of abstract content areas that have previously been difficult to understand, which is why it is considered a system of very high educational value in the future (Rheingold, 1991).

In the ‘Digital Human Library’ (2021), through an article titled “Why use virtual tours (VT) & virtual reality in the public library?”, the elements that the public library utilizes for tours and VR as a powerful participatory learning environment for members are presented as follows.

Librarians are always on the cutting edge of these technologies to engage their customers, and using such tools to encourage higher levels of information literacy through all of the combined tools available to them is critical to student success (Massis, 2015).

3.2. User Education

One of the most important parts of any social education system is the library. Libraries make use of user education to exert social education functions, make self-advocacy, or improve the usage of literature. Mastery of the library technologies can only be achieved through user education as well as information resources and literature retrieval skills, all of which improve the user’s ability to access information. By performing user education, we can deal well with the relationship between collection and utilization of information resources as well as strengthening the close tie between users and the library, engaging more members of society to make use of the library, thus ensuring the best use of library resources. User education can at the same time help strengthen the popularity of library knowledge, enhance user awareness, and cause general attention and support for the library from society. This will in turn promote the use of the library, improve its social status, and develop its multiple functions, thus promoting the development of the library cause (Zhu, 2009). User education is an essential task of any library to make its resources visible and available to outreach (Sun & Rader, 1999).

Zhu (2009) presented contents of library user education, patterns of library user education, and issues that should be paid attention to during education, which Table 1 summarizes briefly.

Table 1 summarizes the stages of ‘Contents of library user education,’ divided into ‘Basis-oriented education,’ ‘Information literacy education,’ and ‘Information technology education.’ Among them, ‘Basis-oriented education’ includes the most basic contents about libraries, including the concept of libraries, an introduction to library services, and regulations on how to use books (such as book lending). ‘Information literacy education’ includes accessing, processing, and absorbing information to help create new capabilities. This is because users’ ability to use information helps to increase the efficiency of library use. Finally, ‘Information technology education’ includes multimedia technology, database technology, and network technology. These technologies will help users store, extract, develop, and explore information, and enhance their ability to utilize technologies.

Next, in ‘Patterns of library user education,’ ‘Strengthening oriented education, paying attention to practical training,’ ‘Holding training course, topical lecture and seminar,’ ‘Setting up literacy retrieval courses in colleges and universities’ are the different categories. Among them, ‘Strengthening oriented education, paying attention to practical training’ is a way to increase the effectiveness of training by running guided tours to introduce users to various departments of the library. ‘Holding training courses, topical lectures and seminars’ is a strategy for universal users to achieve short-term results, including inviting experts to host various seminars, operate mobile libraries, or meet information needs as much as possible through telephone counseling. ‘Setting up literacy retriever courses in collections and universities’ is a university-specific information search program based on user-centered teaching and learning activities to help students understand various search theories, methods, strategies, and technologies. Finally, ‘Web-based information literacy’ includes measures to help users make the most of the resources collected through their own web pages.

‘Issues that should be paid attention to during education’ include ‘conducting it in a planned way,’ ‘combining the groups and the individuals,’ ‘contacting closely with practice,’ ‘grasping the characteristics of different users,’ and ‘taking into account the potential users.’

Nowadays, the marketing of library services and communication with the mass of users in regards to services and the collection of the library has become more relevant than ever within academic libraries. The emergence of Web 2.0 technologies empowered users with the ability to access libraries on a 24/7 basis through numerous tools and platforms like online video creation and sharing. In a study from 2011 it was shown that 71% of online American users had watched videos on video sharing websites such as YouTube or any other video sharing website (Moore, 2011). This increased usage of video sharing websites demonstrates the power of multimedia and its ability to provide personalized content experiences. The implementation of personal touch within outreach, marketing, and communication is possible especially when libraries push their content out to users by establishing additional access points through sites such as YouTube, and/or by making their videos available on the library’s website. Creating an online video presence requires long-term commitment from the library if it is to provide up-to-date communications that can attract the views of the viewer community (Little, 2011).

The purpose of using VR in user education is not simply to enjoy three-dimensional images, but to help users accept the library more realistically and closely through virtual experiences. In planning education programs for library users, it is necessary first to define goals and objectives. After this, course content and timing of the various stages are decided, together with the teaching methods and media to be used. The result of this planning is then tested in a practical situation, and evaluation is carried out in order to assess the effectiveness of the program. Fig. 1 illustrates the decision flow process for the development of a course of education in relation to existing practice (Fjallbrant, 1979).

Fig. 1

Development of a course of education in relation to existing practice.

3.3. Effects of VR-based Education

Yoo et al. (2018) synthesizes and analyzes the specific effects of the VR, AR, and MR (Mixed Reality) on learning performance by using meta-analysis on the related field. The result shows that the overall effect size for the learning performance of VR, AR and MR based learning is 0.873, which represents a large effect size. The effect size for VR was 0.743 and for AR based learning it was 0.994. In the 95% confidence interval [-0.214, 0.838], MR-based learning was not significant. In conclusion, their study’s findings indicated that VR, AR, and MR-based learning was effective for the students’ learning outcomes. The extensive results of the studies also enable the use of the strategy, evidence-based practices for design, and the operation of classes for VR, AR, and MR-based learning.

Allcoat and von Mühlenen (2018) studied the effects of learning in a VR environment on performance, emotion, and participation after allocating 99 participants to traditional (textbook style) and VR & video. The result was that participants in the traditional and VR conditions improved their overall performance (i.e., learning, including knowledge acquisition and understanding) in comparison to those in the video condition. The participants in the VR set also displayed a better performance for ‘remembering’ than those that were in the traditional and video condition. Self-ratings of emotions before and after the learning phase showed an increase in positive emotions and a decrease in negative ones for the VR condition learners. On the other hand, there was a decrease in positive emotions in both the traditional and video conditions. The Web-based learning tools evaluation scale also found that participation in the VR condition reported higher engagement than those in the other conditions. Overall, VR displayed an improved learning experience in comparison to traditional and video learning methods.

Mehta (2018) observed that the usage of virtual reality is particularly good for general questions with a visual or spatial component and that traditional learning via reading remains the more effective way for memorizing figures or absorbing minute details (things that are not as important as grasping general concepts and ideas). He also found out that there is an overwhelming preference among students for learning with a virtual reality component in place of traditional learning.

Choi and Kim (2020) developed and applied VR-based biology programs for sixth-grade elementary school students to explore their effects on cognitive and definitive domains. Based on the results, the following model shows the unique characteristics of virtual reality as it relates to the learning effect – presented as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2

Model of learning in VR based class, incorporating unique characteristics of VR. VR, Virtual Reality.

Combining the research results above, it can be said that VR-based education provides an improved experience compared to existing methods in terms of results for such things as interest in learning, understanding, and knowledge acquisition. However, since these studies were not conducted for all generational population groups, a more detailed approach would be required, especially for digital natives, the generation born and raised in a digital environment. This will be more effective because they can freely use digital languages.

4.1. Case Analysis 1: Using VR in the Library

Hahn (2017), Howard et al. (2018) conducted research on VR services that could be provided by libraries. In addition, Pope (2018), Cook et al. (2019), and Patterson et al. (2019) conducted a study that presented that current status of VR services provided by libraries. Lee and Chung (2020) reviewed the above research and presented the types of VR services as shown in Table 2.

Kim et al. (2021) selected 11 public libraries in the US and Canada that are running VR programs relatively well by searching keywords such as VR, Virtual Reality, and Public Library VR, and summarized the current status as shown in Table 3.

According to the analysis in Table 3, the public libraries mainly provide hands-on content such as education, science, technology, and human exploration as multi-use programs for users ages 10 or older. It can be said that they are focusing on experiences that are aimed at exploring technologies through VR devices and contents. Therefore, it is increasingly necessary to find ways to expand services that can range from VR research to VR education, VR tours, collection access, and VR environment creation.

4.2. Case Analysis 2: Using VR in the Library User Education

Although VR classes are already being practiced in various ways in schools, it is difficult to find cases where VR is used for educational purposes. The library still mainly operates programs focused on finding ways to introduce and apply VR. However, considering that it is not easy for users to use the library due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the VR Tour was produced and released on the website and YouTube (including access to the library and how to use it). Therefore, and in a broader context, the VR Tour is thought to be a way of training users beyond just orientation. Several examples are discussed below.

The National Institute of Education Library, Singapore (National Institute of Education Library, 2021) tested the concept of utilizing a 360-degree digital camera and VR software tools to create a VR library tour experience for its library users. While providing an overview of the library facilities and resources through its website, the users of NIE only get snapshots of the library through images and textual description of the library facilities and its resources. The scope that NIE set for its VR tour was to provide a way for users to get to know the library better and excite library usage (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3

VR tour of National Institute of Education Library. VR, Virtual Reality.

Since January 2020, Seoul National University in Korea has launched a VR Tour service that allows library users to access through its website. The VR Tour was designed to accommodate people who were unable to visit the library during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was designed to provide a panoramic view of the library and various facilities. The Seoul National University Library (2021) consists of a central library main building, a government building, and nine other branches. The VR Tour shows facilities on all floors beginning at the entrance to the central library main building (Fig. 4).

Fig. 4

VR tour of Seoul National University Library. VR, Virtual Reality.

The Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada Joint Facility (2021), which officially announced the name “Ādisōke” on August 5, 2021, also provides a video of “Take a Tour” on YouTube via its website. The contents of the video include details on how to come, explore the structure, and how to use the building (Fig. 5).

Fig. 5

VR tour of Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada Joint Facility. VR, Virtual Reality.

5.1. Select VR-enabled Content Type

VR content types can be divided into mission interaction and immersion types. Among them, the mission interaction type has the advantage of being able to convey information well through realistic descriptions because it allows users to directly insert additional information. The downside is that motion sickness can occur. On the other hand, the immersion appreciation type does not allow users to interact directly since there are no obstacles. It can also alleviate motion sickness phenomena as well as the advantages of being immersed and appreciated from beginning to end. Therefore, it would be desirable to select the ‘immersion-sensitive’ content type for library user education programs using VR.

5.2. Library User Education VR Content Composition

The VR contents for library user education are based on the ‘Composition of library user education’ proposed by Zhu (2009) in the first stage, ‘Basis-oriented education’ process, the second stage ‘Information literacy education’ process, and the third stage, ‘Information technology education.’ After organizing the process, the content to be included in each stage is described in detail. If users participate and follow each step-by-step educational process, they will be able to ameliorate and cultivate library usability.

5.3. Determining the Type of VR Usage for Library User Education