#413: Does More Exploration Mean Better Learning? Rethinking VR Log Data Through Instructional Sequences

This paper examines how identical VR log events can reflect different cognitive states depending on instructional sequence. We analyzed detailed logs from a high school cell division VR simulation, comparing the Paper→VR and VR→Paper sequences. Students in the Paper-first condition explored more, but exploration time was not related to achievement. In contrast, for VR-first students, longer exploration and more transitions were associated with lower scores. Round-specific reading and behavioral coupling also differed: in VR-first, reading was linked to immediate correct actions without broader exploratory moves, whereas in Paper-first, reading integrated with a wider range of behaviors. These results suggest that VR traces are not fixed indicators but acquire meaning from instructional context. Rather than arguing that one sequence is superior, we show that VR log features are context sensitive and emphasize that log data should be interpreted within context to guide learner-specific feedback.