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27/03/2025 | Virtual Reality as a Learning Space (UMR)

Virtual scene with four avatars sitting around a round table using laptops. In the background, a large virtual whiteboard displays a mind map. The setting is a virtual room with windows and landscape visible outside.
Screenshot by Luisa Breitenstein

Virtual scene with several avatars sitting around a digital campfire in an open, modern room. A desert landscape is visible through large windows in the background. The avatars are interacting, some with text bubbles above their heads.
Screenshot by Luisa Breitenstein

Three people are sitting in a classroom wearing virtual reality headsets with controllers. They are focused on their activity. Windows and a building outside are visible in the background.
Image by Luisa Breitenstein

A group of six people is sitting at tables in a classroom, preparing virtual reality headsets. One standing person is observing or assisting them. VR equipment and accessories are placed on the tables.
Image by Luisa Breitenstein

A man is sitting on a chair in a room, wearing a virtual reality headset and holding two controllers. Behind him is a bulletin board with colorful cards and notes.
Image by Luisa Breitenstein

 

 

 

Virtual Reality as a Learning Space: Successful Seminar on Collaborative Learning with VR Completed

In the winter semester 2024/25, H. Rahel Jäkel (Lecturer at Department of Education, UMR) and Ramin Siegmund (NIDIT – Lab for Innovative Teaching) jointly conducted a seminar on "Collaborative Learning in and with Virtual Reality" in a co-teaching format. The aim of this collaboration was to integrate Virtual Reality (VR) as a consistent element throughout the entire semester.

The idea and its implementation were based on the pedagogical relevance of the topic and were largely made possible by the support of the NIDIT project. Through NIDIT, VR headsets and the necessary software licenses were provided. Additionally, the project supported the seminar with workshops and consulting services for VR-based teaching. Staff members took care of technical support, data protection issues, logistics, and equipment setup. Despite different areas of focus – technical for Ramin Siegmund, didactic for Rahel Jäkel – the sessions were conducted jointly in a co-teaching setting. The topic is also addressed in the project documentation.

The seminar concluded successfully in February 2025. Over the course of the semester, participants engaged with theoretical foundations of collaborative learning and VR technology. After an introduction by NIDIT, they each received their own VR headset for independent use. Two sessions took place entirely in the virtual environment via MeetinVR. During these sessions, students gained hands-on experience with social presence, technical possibilities, and didactic challenges – including a virtual feedback session around a campfire. The practical phases were then jointly reflected upon and compared with current research findings.

The seminar showed that the joint project NIDIT is able to support teachers and students in the implementation of VR teaching in terms of technology and personnel. The structures developed within the project provide a foundation for sustainable use in higher education. The students’ sense of responsibility also stood out positively: the headsets were used responsibly, technical issues were rare, and participation remained consistently high.

A detailed project report offers insights into the planning, implementation, and outcomes of the seminar. The scientific evaluation carried out by the NIDIT team underscores the following: only independent practical phases lead to confident handling of the technology and support competence development – theory alone is not enough.

Link to the project documentation