## 5 Discussion  
The primary idea of this applied research was to broaden the current body of knowledge by examining the utility of data-driven segmentation analysis based on PEU in exploring the differences among maritime students in regard to (i) their attitudes towards the benefits of the immersive engine room VR simulator for learning and education, (ii) future behavioural intentions, and (iii) overall VR experience. The primary discovery provides compelling evidence that maritime students do not respond homogeneously when it comes to the PEU of the VR engine room simulator. Namely, the segmentation analysis demonstrated that the two extracted sub-groups (i.e., Proactivists and Moderates) exhibited a high level of homogeneity and comparability (see Figure 6 and Table 1), which is indeed considered a key characteristic of an efficient market segmentation [65]. The students who had a positive experience with the VR engine room simulator, e.g., finding it user friendly, easy to understand, intuitive, and not too demanding (M > 4), were labelled as Proactivists. This term was chosen because their responses mirrored the definition of proactive behaviour described as one who is self-starting and change or future oriented [72; 73]. Those students who rated the PEU items moderately (3 < mean < 4) were simply named as Moderates. Despite the fact more than one-third of the respondents were classified as Moderates, it is important to consider the fact that the majority of the students had no prior experience with VR technology in education and that the research was conducted during the trial use of the VR engine room simulator. Therefore, these findings should be viewed from a positivist perspective, as they offer valuable guidance for enhancing students' assimilation to the VR engine room simulator in the future. The authors of this study propose that educators should give more priority to the familiarization procedures. For instance, during the initial phase, students can be progressively introduced and systematically guided through a series of elementary training exercises to acquire proficiency in fundamental movement and develop a comprehension of spatial perception in the virtual environment. This strategy will enable users to enhance their comprehension of the VR environment, hence enabling them to efficiently complete more sophisticated tasks in subsequent training phases, including executing emergency protocols in a flooded engine room or managing a fire. Additionally, educators and software developers may consider the integration of a series of interactively guided tutorials, which would allow students to independently familiarize themselves with all the features and capabilities of the VR engine room simulator. Regarding the perceived benefits of using a VR engine room simulator in learning and education, the findings revealed that segments differed significantly with respect to four of the six benefit variables. The results suggest that the perceived benefits of a VR-based learning environment are contingent upon the quality of the interaction experience (i.e., PEU) that an individual has while engaging with the given VR setting. Consequently, the findings provide a captivating foundation for further discussion. The most significant discrepancy among the segments was found for the benefit item \"Comprehending the previously acquired knowledge\" in favour of the Proactivists group. The findings imply that interaction factors like the perceived understandability and intuitiveness of the VR engine room simulator, if viewed favourably, may play a significant role in influencing perceived advantages of using the VR environment for the assessment and application of previously learned theoretical knowledge. In addition to educators, these study findings can also provide software developers with valuable insights and new perspectives on how to improve the end-user experience in order to maximize learning benefits, as the software features have a significant impact on factors such as the perceived ease of use [53].