DBIS

Learning content by heart can be facilitated by the method of Loci. In this mnemonic technique, the learner converts pieces of information into mental imagery. The imagined representations are then anchored in a location. If the learner then traverses a path through this location, the information can be remembered by recalling the mental imagery. However, building a suitable mental environment with a good path and coming up with helpful representations can be challenging for beginners. Hence, the adoption of this memorization method among students is still sparse. To understand the method and practice it, immersive environments in virtual reality can be utilized to construct rooms in which virtual representations can be placed. This visualization can also help during the learning process as placed content is saved on a hard-drive and so, the chosen layout is not lost if the learner still forgets portions of it. The immersive environment can repeatedly be visited to strengthen the memory and to interactively construct the learning content. Apart from this, virtual agents in the form of human avatars can be included in the virtual reality setting. They can lead the learner through the rooms to help with establishing a fixed route through the space. Moreover, they can give further auditory and visual information so that the visual representation of an item can be translated back into the original information.