<p>Innovative digital technologies, particularly virtual reality (VR), have significant potential to enhance design education by creating virtual design classrooms that support collaborative and 3D studio practices on campus and in distance learning. However, the methods of integrating these technologies and their impacts on design education need further exploration. This study investigated the impact of integrating VR design tools into Basic Design Education on individual and group work. The research used a mixed method, with a sequential exploratory design approach, starting with quantitative data collection and analysis and followed by qualitative ones. The results revealed several key findings. Students' initial anxieties and prejudices about VR were replaced by positive feelings through an affective transformation throughout the course. In addition, levels of physical presence were high regardless of individual or group work, although students could still perceive the physical world instead of being completely isolated. Regarding social presence, students focused on the attractiveness of instant meeting remotely rather than the artificiality of the VR environment, with emotional support, effective communication, and cooperation leading to a life-like collaborative learning experience. Moreover, the collaborative VR approach positively influenced academic achievement, with collaborative students achieving higher scores than individual students. However, there were issues such as cybersickness and ergonomics. In summary, integrating VR-based design environments into design education leads to more trial and error with faster production rationale and, thus, less anxiety for students compared with the traditional method. In addition, the opportunity to design together in a virtual social environment as effectively as in the actual studio environment was vital for the potential digital future of design education.</p>