VR Science Tour Erasmus Project

Project Title

VR Science Tour

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

The VRSciT project consists of conducting a virtual educational visit to locations of cultural, social and natural interest of each partner involved, from Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Lithuania, by using Virtual Reality (VR) immersion and interaction techniques to provide users a unique learning experience. VR technology adoption removes the barriers of remote visualization of environments making possible for everyone to experience a high educational value through digitalization. The VRSciT project specifically aims to explore new approaches in educational tourism, such as 3D modeling together with 360º immersive VR environments to build innovative virtual educational scenes, from four different countries. To achieve this objective, several products will be developed by the partners, namely:
(i) Share a literature review of VR technology.
(ii) Elaboration of an interactive virtual reality experience – ‘VRSciT SPOT´.
(iii) Production of an Online Web Toolkit.
(iv) Training events to share best practices using VR technology in educational tourism
(v) Multiplier event to promote the project’s results

People who experience the VRSciT SPOT will be able to make an immersive trip, not only in the landscapes of the Northeast region of Trás-os-Montes, but also to travel through the landscapes of the regions of the other partners, thus increasing the visibility of all the contemplated regions and a clear confirmation of the European-wide partner entities. Providing access to scientific information and educational activities for people with different social backgrounds will allow less favored people, such as people with less economic power or physical disabilities, to access recent technologies, promoting inclusion by allowing unrestrained access and interaction with technology that otherwise would not be possible. So the target group of VRScriT project is the adult learners that visit all the partners and will have access to scientific and educational tourism with new interactive learning environments. The project will produce a broad impact through the delivery and the publication of the Intellectual Outputs, the implementation of training events, and the dissemination plan. The continuous innovation of the Institutions in terms of the touristic and scientific offer, one of the vital components of the European Union’s policy for lifelong adult learning, will, in general, enable the visitors to:

(i) in the specific field of adult education:
improve the basic skills of individuals by managing new technology and information;
deep/consolidate specific skills (in terms of cultural literacy, science and technology, European citizenship, interculturality, and community development);
integrate of experienced knowledge in their lives;
promote language skills;
improve personal motivation and critical reflection.

(ii) in the creation of new opportunities:
disseminate of best international practices (through the creation of local and regional dynamics that enhance technological innovation opportunities and also in the development of entrepreneurial and sustainable projects for the community in general);
stimulate the development of innovative activities (contribution to the expression of scientific and technological based companies);
stimulate the construction of a more active, responsible and interventional citizenship (creation/reinforcement of individual cognitive, social and cultural background, in a structured and oriented way).
The consortium believes that this project will enable the target groups, to not only acquire and consolidate skills at the level of adult education, but also to improve their skills in European citizenship, interculturality, employment, and community development, emphasizing the promotion of learning, digital literacy, debate and sharing of scientific and technological knowledge.
The whole project idea is based on a transnational comparison of approaches, issues, solutions and good practice in the implementation of innovative strategies for educational tourism using informal innovative procedures. Furthermore, it is expected that each partner will have the opportunity to take advantage of research in the introduced novelties and build on the project’s achievements.
After completion, the project will deliver guidelines for the design of future collaborations and will present the capabilities that the advanced technologies of Virtual reality are offering in bringing modern technology to society. This way the project will make a valuable contribution to the modernization of Europe Digitalization using focusing on an informal pedagogical approach combined with digital technologies.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 395370 Eur

Project Coordinator

Associação Centro Ciência Viva de Bragança & Country: PT

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TERAMO
• Fundación del Centro de Supercomputación de Castilla y León
• Lietuvos svietimo istorijos muziejus
• Comune di Riva del Garda – Istituzione MAG Museo Alto Garda
• UNIVERSIDAD DE LEON
• INSTITUTO POLITECNICO DE BRAGANCA
• PIXEL – ASSOCIAZIONE CULTURALE