Sustainable learning with SIMS VR-mine in Science Center environments

Purpose and goal:

In the project, educators at Science Center have gained more knowledge in the field and tested a number of educational programmes and VR technology with children and young people. It has also become clear that VR technology has potential, but that continued development work is required for it to work well in a Science center environment. We have also started a collaboration between a larger group of Science Centers, which has resulted in continued collaboration around production and content linked to mining and the green transition.

Expected results and effects:

The project was successful considering the production and testing of exhibition environments as well as educational programme with viability in relation to aim. The approach that VR technology was expected to have a central role in the exhibition environments and the educational programs entailed certain challenges. The project has shown that VR/facilitator should be considered as a system.

VR technology does not fully compensate for the basic knowledge that a facilitator needs for a deeper understanding of the VR experience. Approach and implementation:

If something new is to be developed in a collaborative project that is broad in terms of participants, it requires more competence and resources to both develop and implement what is developed, on the scale that this project is taking on. It also requires a clearer division between actors for production responsibility (smaller group) and competence-enhancing efforts (larger group).

In-depth competence, as well as breadth of in-depth competence, needs to be ensured with the driving the actors in the project for this type of project structure.