Identifying Procedural Learning Phases with Virtual Reality: Behavioral Study of the Toronto Tower Task

Drawing on the method for identifying learning phases defined by Hubert et al. (2007) using real-world materials, this study analyzes the phases present during procedural learning in a virtual environment. Thirty-four participants, equipped with virtual reality headsets, completed the Tower of Toronto task in 30 trials. The results demonstrate that procedural knowledge for performing the Tower of Toronto task is acquired in the virtual environment, with improved performance as practice progresses. Behavioral data, illustrating task performance’s cognitive and motor components, are examined according to the identified learning phases. A comparison is made between these phases and those identified by Hubert et al. (2007) in real-life situations, revealing similarities and differences between these two learning situations. This study contributes to the understanding of the learning process in virtual environments through the automatic tracking of activity enabled by such environments.