Virtual reality environments are becoming increasingly popular as educational tools, but it remains unclear when these environments enhance learning or when they are a distraction from the learning process. We compared two different methods for teaching ecological concepts about the rocky intertidal zone by comparing an experimental (virtual) class with a control (traditional) type of class. We investigated whether cognitive (i.e., knowledge) and affective (i.e., attitudes, perceptions) outcomes are enhanced when students use lesson plans presented in a virtual reality environment compared with lesson plans facilitated via traditional methods. We also assessed the extent to which these attributes are enhanced when students create their own virtual tours as part of a field-based learning experience. The experimental group showed significantly higher maintenance of knowledge gain than the traditional group at the conclusion of the study, but there were no other significant differences among treatment groups. Feedback from teachers reported that students were more engaged, had better recall, and enjoyed the change from the traditional lecture style. Lack of statistically different scores measuring excitement suggests a need for improvement in the design and implementation of these virtual environments to maximize their appeal to students. However, our results suggest that virtual reality technologies provide an innovative alternative to standard lesson plans that can help improve knowledge retention about ecological concepts.