Challenges and Opportunities in an Immersive and Gamified ODeL Course for Undergraduate Students

Abstract

This study examined how a quest-based and immersive learning design shaped students’ experiences in an open and distance e-learning course. The intervention transformed one unit of an undergraduate instructional design course into a three-level Quest Mode that combined narrative framing, structured mechanics, and a Metaversal Quest built in FrameVR. Using a qualitative design that analyzed student reflection papers and a focus group discussion, the study explored how learners interpreted the opportunities and constraints of the quest-based environment. Participants reported that Quest Mode support engagement by organising learning into smaller scaffolded segments and by offering playful opportunities for exploration and paced progression. Several participants described reduced cognitive overload and sustained interest. Some learners also reported moments of social presence and peer collaboration within the immersive spaces. At the same time, technical instability, motion sickness, and interface complexity constrained participation for some students, and several indicated that reproducing regular course materials inside the metaverse limited the environment’s pedagogical affordances. These findings suggest conditions under which quest-based and metaversal elements can support persistence in ODeL, while highlighting the need to align mechanics, aesthetics, and content to the medium rather than rely on novelty alone.