Narrowing gender-based performance gaps in virtual environment navigation

Virtual environments provide a model of the world that can simulate real spaces or represent new, previously unexplored worlds. Effective navigation within these virtual worlds is a key to user satisfaction and goal achievement. Empirical research, however, shows large differences in navigation performance due to gender. This paper presents conceptual background on the nature of the gaps and how navigation tools might reduce them. Patterns of findings for empirical studies published after the year 2000 provide insight into the performance gaps and potential mechanisms for their reduction. Proven relationships between performance improvement and use of navigation tools are yet to be established, so user testing remains critical. Potential new research can provide additional understanding of the nature of performance by gathering user behavior and cognitive rationale data, further investigating gender differences in visuospatial working memory capacity, and applying metacognitive training approaches used in other navigable media such as hypermedia.

► Virtual environments (VEs) are increasingly being used for educational purposes. ► Navigation performance within VEs is key to effective learning in the environment. ► Research shows males have better or equal VE navigation performance than females. ► How navigation tools might reduce gender performance differences is not clear. ► New research approaches may provide insights on gender VE performance differences.