VRinHE aimed to build the capacities of HE institutions and their staff, to integrate Virtual and Augmented Reality in teaching and learning, targeting key EU priorities. The project have sustainable promoted digital transformation of the HE sector, by providing relevant stakeholders with innovative methods, approaches and guidelines to increase the participation rates, improve the quality of HE, and foster university learners’ digital, 21st century skills. A discussion on the importance of following coherent strategy and policy also was initiated. Specifically, the VRinHE project aimed at: 1.Building the competences of academics, learning designers, and teaching staff in integrating VR/AR in the design and delivery of courses. 2.Developing a Toolkit, a training course, and a MOOC on integrating VR/AR in higher education 3.Raising awareness on the need and value to integrate VR/AR in HE in close cooperation with all stakeholders involved, including universities, SMEs, policy makers. 4.Improving the supply of quality higher education opportunities for all.
In terms of effective VR/AR integration into the HE curricula, instructors, academics, and learning designers, need in-depth education and training concerning what VR/AR is about, how to integrate into lectures, how students could benefit from utilizing VR/AR, and how their own pedagogical approaches and classes could be boosted by using VR/AR applications. As a response, the VRinHE project focused on addressing the learning needs of universities and instructors, by building their competencies to develop learning-outcomes-oriented curricula that better meet the learning needs of students, in engaging and interactive ways. Faculty members across partner institutions collaborated and implemented trans-disciplinary approaches and innovative pedagogies such as VR supported student-centered learning, inverted learning and research-based learning which have promoted the acquisition of transferable skills. The target groups were better prepared to implement VR and AR digital tools for creating engaging curricula, learning activities and assessment that advance learners’ digital competences, in line with the European Commission’s 2021-2027 Digital Education Action Plan that suggests digital transformation for education at all levels.