Reality. Sometimes it can be so overwhelming. Social-political crisis, economical as well, pandemics, pollution, life-plans getting farther with each day, don’t even mention getting independent at a young age, and of course phycological stability out of the window. Take all these ingredients, mix with a bit of pessimism and you got yourself a pretty explosive soup. And that’s what most of us feast on every day.
So, on this manner, it would make sense if someone wanted to escape reality. Escape. Why not fix it though? How, you ask. It is a common truth that the world changes through education. So, on quick thinking, let us see what we have. Reality, education, change. Why not change the reality of education then! And maybe, just maybe, it shall be the start of a wider change of things. These were the thoughts (well, some of them) of the people who conceived Creative Teaching : Virtual Reality (CT : VR).
Re-inventing the wheel
If we had to use one word to go with CT : VR, that would be innovation. The reason is that it introduces the concept of Virtual Reality to adult educational practices. Yes, Virtual Reality is not made of words that we hear for the first time, but seeing it in education? Yes, it is a first. Imagine a student of a Medicine school interacting with a patient while on surgery. Making choices at real time, understanding why they are correct or not, or trying different approaches, all at zero danger, since all is Virtual. Now imagine a trainee at a space program being trained at their university, on complex machinery. Anything goes, since a bad decision does not equal disaster, as it would in real life. This means better understanding of the technology through harmless trial and error.
The Project’s Reality
Creative Teaching aims at implementing virtual classrooms in adult education by training teachers, trainers, and educators, in order to blend digital tools with traditional analog learning, thus creating an innovative and inclusive educational process. At the same time students will have the opportunity to experience a variety of subjects through the eyes of Virtual Reality.
Project Results
During the project’s lifespan, the following results shall be produced:
- Research of VR tools and methodologies in adult education
An in-depth research of comprehensive materials, tools and best practices from the field of virtual and/or augmented reality in education. The research will lead to an overall report, based on National reports issued by the project partners, in order to present VR/AR tools and innovative methods that can be applied in adult education.
- CT : VR Curricula
The CT:VR Curricula will be digitally published, and it will consist of a list of procedures and methodologies regarding VR implementation on 3 levels: organizational, teacher/mentor, participant. It will act as a guideline on possibilities of different implementations and as a tutorial for future use by organizations or teachers. Creative distant learning education methods will be put into action, such as storytelling, script writing and artistic approaches, thus improving teachers and educators’ digital skills. Teachers will also acquire skills on creating new teaching modules.
- CT : VR Guidelines with video tutorials
Project partners will collect and evaluate good practice examples of VR/AR implementation on all levels of educational organizations, with a focus on adult education. A research will be conducted on good practices, gathering knowledge and information from organizations and websites that are already using VR as part of their educational Curricula. The results of the research will be published on the CT:VR platform. The Guidelines will serve as learning material at first, encouraging the involvement of educational organizations, by offering an overview of VR/AR advantages. The CT : VR platform, which will include guidelines with videos, links, pictures, and other interactive material, will be offered as open-source to interested stakeholders.
Target Groups
Such a project is certain to draw the attention of many. Let’s take a look at the involved parts:
Direct
- Adult educators
- Associations for adult education
- Professionals/experts in adult education
- Mentors
- Lifelong learning teachers
Indirect
- Adult learners
- Participants in lifeong learning activities
- Stakeholders (adult education organizations, representatives of social partners, representatives of professionals of the educational chain, cultural institutions, et
The Partnership
The amazing people working on Creative Teaching come from the following organizations:
- Centro San Viator – Spain
- Public University of Ptuj – Slovenia
- p-consulting.gr – Greece
- University for Adult Education of Murska Sobota – Slovenia
- Greta du Velay – France
Sometimes we do not need to re-invent the wheel, but rather understand the circumstances it works best. Creative Teaching : Virtual Reality is here, determined to shape the education of the future.
Stay close! More’s on the way!
