IT at the Service of Local Higher Education: How Virtual Reality is Bridging the Distance and Improving Student Retention in a Hybrid Context

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Published: Oct 24, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52358/mm.vi24.527
Keywords:
virtual reality higher education student satisfaction student retention academic achievement

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Guillaume Desjardins
Université Laval/Centre de recherche SAVIE
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5669-6671
Patrick Plante
Université TÉLUQ
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0860-5798
Gustavo Adolfo Angulo Mendoza
Université TÉLUQ
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4997-678X
Caroline Brassard
Université TÉLUQ
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2097-8201

Abstract

The gradual decline in production costs has increased the accessibility of virtual reality (VR), thereby strengthening interest in this technology across various sectors, particularly in education and training. Owing to its immersive and interactive nature, VR emerges as a promising lever for skill development in academic contexts. This article reports on a study carried out in 2025 at a Quebec university, aimed at experimentally integrating VR into different teaching contexts on a small scale, with the objective of enhancing accessibility, student persistence, and academic success. The study adopts a mixed design comparing a control group, which completed the course remotely via the Zoom platform, with an experimental group that received the same instruction within an immersive VR environment. Quantitative findings indicate a statistically significant difference in final course grades in favor of the experimental group. Qualitative data derived from focus groups corroborate these results, highlighting increased course satisfaction and a reduced intention to withdraw among participants exposed to VR.

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How to Cite
Desjardins, G., Plante, P., Angulo Mendoza, G. A., & Brassard, C. (2026). IT at the Service of Local Higher Education: How Virtual Reality is Bridging the Distance and Improving Student Retention in a Hybrid Context. Mediations and Mediatizations, (24), 27–46. https://doi.org/10.52358/mm.vi24.527
Issue
No. 24 (2026): Educational Digital Technology Under Critical Scrutiny
Section
Research articles
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Author Biographies

Guillaume Desjardins, Université Laval/Centre de recherche SAVIE

Guillaume Desjardins holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, as well as a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in industrial relations. His research focuses on the strategic implications of confusion and duplicity in the digital age for (i) those who develop and implement corporate strategy, (ii) consumers, and (iii) those conventionally considered to be participants in the labor market. Guillaume has published peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals, including *Personnel Review*, *Competitiveness Review*, and *Info*. His work has also been presented at the Academy of Management's annual general meeting and published in the Academy's proceedings.

Translation generated using the free version of the DeepL.com translator

Patrick Plante, Université TÉLUQ

Patrick Plante is a full professor of distance learning and educational technology at TÉLUQ University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history, a teaching diploma, and a master’s and a doctorate in educational technology from Laval University. In 2015–2016, he undertook a postdoctoral fellowship funded by the AGE-WELL network, focusing on the research, development and commercialisation of serious games for older adults. His current research centres on serious games and the gamification of content, microlearning and the use of artificial intelligence in educational contexts.

Patrick Plante heads the Centre for Research and Innovation in Educational Technology in Quebec (i-TEQ), and was co-director and founding member of the Observatory of Digital Technology in Education (ONE) from 2018 to 2024. He is also editor of the ‘Discussions and Debates’ section of the journal Médiations et médiatisations (M&M), a research associate at the Inter-University Research Centre on Teacher Training and the Teaching Profession (CRIFPE), and an affiliated researcher with the AGE-WELL network and the SAVIE Public Research Centre.
*** Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) ***

 

Gustavo Adolfo Angulo Mendoza, Université TÉLUQ

Gustavo Adolfo Angulo Mendoza is a professor of Educational Technology and Distance Education at TELUQ University. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering and a Master's degree in Educational Technology from Tecnologico de Monterrey (Mexico). He completed his doctoral studies in Educational Technology at Laval University. He worked for 10 years as a secondary school teacher in his native country, Colombia. He has also completed several mandates in the field of educational technology and e-learning, many of them in collaboration with TÉLUQ University. He is interested in learning communities to support graduate student-researchers, instructional design, big and small data analysis from online training devices and technological applications for education and training.

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