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VR could prove valuable as a tool to support transitioning for autistic students, to provide opportunities to experience potential environments as the CYP moves through the education
system. Additionally, VR could be useful in preparing for different roles and expectations, from social interactions to practicing for job interviews
Demystify the workplace environment
Some colleges creating virtual reality tour of college
College or workplace VR tours can give added value to potential applicants
Immersive reality rather than full VR
Importance of good explanation particularly for vulnerable students
VR can show the student workplace expectation and rules, for example: clock in, staying to one side of corridor, avoiding machine pathways etc.
VR provides another tool in the teaching toolkit
VR can provide the student with psychological safety, knowing what has to be done, how to find mentors office,
VR allows the student to fail forward, that is to recognise that we will make mistakes bur can learn from these
What works for one student may not work for another
So, VR must show adaptability and ability to combine with other teaching tools
Students’ anxiety about using VR and WBL would need to be addressed
Remote working presents opportunities for SEN students
to earn a living and have a career and VR could assist with this
Italy1 (CO&SO):
VET experts noticed inhomogeneity of digital skills in VET teachers / trainers: those who work in science and engineering fields have greater digital skills than those who, for instance, teach
history, literature, etc., and do not understand that virtual reality can be useful to them as well.
There is reticence in teachers, profound ignorance and we need to start from a change of mentality/culture and, only afterwards, you can work on a digital skills training.
The Covid-19 pandemic has forced teachers to do distance learning: this kind of teaching is not just connecting with Zoom, Google Meet, etc. but knowing how to use virtual classes, create
assignments with grades and a lot of training courses have been carried out to support teachers.
There are several training courses for teachers funded at both ministerial and school level, but they should be promoted more and the covered topics should be updated.
For this reason, the VETREALITY training Programme would be very useful: it should start from the basis, explaining what VR is and how it can support teachers in VET, so that VET teach-
ers’/trainers’ knowledge and awareness of VR would be increased. Then, after the theoretical part, it should concretely support teachers in learning how to use VR hardware and software
in their lessons.
In the opinion of the focus group participants’, it is necessary to implement a 2-level training programme: the 1st level would be useful to learn how to connect pc, viewer etc., and then we
can implement a second level training programme on how to use the VR environments, where to look for apps you need, how to download and set them up etc.
Italy2 (REATTIVA):
through VR, WBL takes place in controlled, safe and protected spaces and this is particularly important when dealing with vulnerable groups such as SEN students;
the use of VR 360° material during WBL activities in the classroom can facilitate SEN students’ learning thanks to multisensory stimulation. This use, together with the use of digital devices
for inclusion currently used by schools, can make teaching activities more inclusive, raising the active level of participation of SEN students in the WBL process;
VR applied at WBL can facilitate the realization of a more effective learning, rich in didactic experiences, including immersive ones, with the possibility of a strong interaction in real time that
can allow SEN students to experiment and verify directly in the field, involving them more intensely even from the point of view of perceptive and intuitive sight;
VR can be considered as an on-demand learning methodology in which the learning environment is adapted to the needs and inputs coming from the students themselves and this is
particularly profitable in VET education and especially in the case of VR technology applied at WBL with SEN students;
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