Start Date: 01/06/2017
End Date: 30/11/2019
Web Site: www.vrdi.it

VRDI is a 30-months research project that aims to explore how Virtual Reality (VR) and other related technologies (360 videos, mixed reality, augmented reality and more…) can be valuable and useful for inclusive education and learning.

VRDI is a lab where co-design triggers, actions and interactions with students, teachers, editors, and investigate, experiment, test and evaluate new approaches and solutions, to help shaping future inclusive education.

VRDI uses 3D, immersive 3D, Virtual Reality (designed for mobile and / or fixed platforms, such as Samsung VR, Oculus Rift, and a selection of those that will become available in the project’s time frame) and the technologies associated with them and work on the components of gamification and engagement as enhancing students’ cognitive abilities and as amplifiers of their motivation to study, often frustrated by learning difficulties.

During the 2017/2018 school year the Living Lab activities have involved four 7th grade classes, two from Convitto Nazionale Umberto I (Torino) and two from Istituto Comprensivo Tommaseo (Torino). Together with teachers, educators and students we experimented interactive platforms for development and distribution, visors and connected technologies, and approaches and templates for didactics, with several learning models (simulation-based, cooperative and collaborative, exploratory and meta-cognitive) from individual fruitions and collaborative working, to coding and storytelling workshops.

During the 2017/2018 school year the in-classroom trials have deployed four VR modules for Science and for Arts in several schools in Piemonte, Lombardia e Liguria, for an overall of 80 lessons. VR modules were implemented with contents and interactions thought and developed for exploring and testing several solutions for most recurring needs and problems of learning activity.

VRDI will end by the end of November 2019; it’s currently analyzing the data collected and working on final reports and guidelines.

Moreover, VRDI did several dissemination activities, from “Festival della Scienza” in Genova to “Scuola Digitale” in Sassari, from “Festival dell’Educazione” to “Salone del Libro” in Torino. VRDI collaborated also with CentroScienza for informative lessons within the initiative “Science Weeks… at School!” in Torino and surroundings.