When it comes to new innovations and educational technology, virtual reality (VR) is a fairly new innovation in vocational education. So far, only a few European teachers have gained experience and insights into VR’s learning opportunities. VR enables an unlimited number of virtual courses, and can be used to produce experiences that simulate real life. Could VR replace textbooks with interactive teaching experiences? Is VR a renaissance of learning?
Keuda was recently granted funding in the Erasmus+ -program to develop and pilot pedagogical content in Altspace and GLUE environments. Both offer new spaces for encounter, learning, teaching, guidance, interaction, co-creation and sharing. We will have piloted some VR learning environments and created some new ones, experience and pilot how and why VR works as a learning environment for vocational education, and designed and piloted some tasks in practice. The pilot areas are English language and communication, mathematics, and electricity.
We will serve not only pioneering teachers, but also first timers and rookies who are interested in getting to know VR. We will facilitate new staff members and students to get to Altspace and participate in to pilots, expert lectures and activities.
Why is this being done? Keuda both shares and gains experience with international partners, grows its networks, and utilizes the latest technology in teaching. We get new energy from the project, new ideas, new opportunities for our students to learn, new ways to find solutions, new networks of partners and teachers, more internal internationalization and and and – what we do not gain!
The project experiences will be communicated on the project website and in suitable events such as the EfVET.
The official start was on March 1st 2021. Work started together with partners from Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain. Our budget is € 193,000. We are proud to be among the 3 funded projects out of 24 applications in Finland! Go Keuda!
To this end, it should be noted that virtuality has been a popular theme in international operations since March 2020. Virtuality will most likely have come to stay as a form of international activity. It allows staff to collaborate internationally more efficiently and effortlessly, by saving travel days. It also allows an international experience for a wider range of students and staff.
Through virtual international activities, we promote sustainable development, digitalization and inclusion. In connecting large amounts of students and staff, we enhance not only their international skills, but cooperation, tolerance, fellowship and peace.
By Katriina Lammi, Head of International Affairs, Keuda