Virtual reality is not just about entertainment. It can also be an educational tool. HEP-BEJUNE opened its second test lab on Wednesday in La Chaux-de-Fonds. It is specifically dedicated to virtual reality. Faculty members of the University of Education of the cantons of Bern, Jura and Neuchâtel, students and field teachers are provided with virtual reality headsets and a 360-degree camera. The goal is to allow them to tame this technology and share it with students.
Through these TestLabs, HEP BEJUNE intends to meet the requirements of the French-speaking curriculum. Since 2018, the PER law has placed digital education on the same level as mathematics or languages.
One study showed that with virtual reality, learning becomes deeper and easier, explains Sophie Julai-Jasser, coordinator of the testing labs.
This Wednesday, the opening day of the Chaux-de-Fondier TestLab, various workshops were offered to visitors. They were able to try out virtual painting and music or develop in a world made from scratch. Beyond entertainment, there are clearly more educational applications. This is the case of the workshop proposed by Gilles Blandner. A professor at the higher education institution in the fields of mathematics and natural sciences, he explained to visitors that with a virtual reality headset, we can, for example, explore the inside of the human body.
The first test lab dedicated to digital tools opened its doors in 2022 on the Delémont site. Bayan should also have its own lab, in principle, before the summer of 2025. There, it will be a question of artificial intelligence. /cwi
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