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Abstract
This dissertation investigates the pedagogical affordances of collaborative desktop-based virtual reality (VR) in engineering education through the integrated lenses of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) and Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) frameworks. While VR is gaining traction in educational contexts, its implementation often prioritizes technological novelty over theoretically grounded instructional design. Addressing this gap, the study explores how presence, agency, and collaboration interact to facilitate meaningful learning in virtual environments. Structured as a three-paper dissertation, the research begins with a systematic review of 28 empirical studies, revealing a pervasive lack of theoretical grounding and limited methodological diversity in collaborative VR studies. The second study employs structural equation modeling with data from 82 engineering students who completed a collaborative VR class assignment, finding that both teaching and social presence significantly predict cognitive presence - highlighting social presence as the most impactful. The third study integrates SRL constructs into the CoI framework using mixed methods and survey data from 154 students, eight of whom were subsequently interviewed. Results demonstrate that task value, metacognition, self-efficacy, effort regulation, and intrinsic goal orientation significantly influence all three CoI presences. Qualitative data further illuminate how students actively regulate their learning and collaborate within virtual simulations. The dissertation culminates in the proposal of an expanded CoI plus SRL framework, offering theoretical, empirical, and practical contributions for designing cognitively rich, socially connected, and self-directed VR learning environments. Implications are discussed for educational research, instructional design, and the equitable integration of VR technologies in engineering and STEM education.