The Network of former employees of the Open University of Catalonia has created the Extr@UOC Blog, a UOC participation program that aims to promote and maintain the link between this group of the University.
This blog features a new section called “Conversations about Educational Technology,” coordinated by Magí Almirall in collaboration with the UOC’s Online Master’s Degree in Education and ICT (eLearning). In this space, they aim to give a voice to emerging projects and the people driving change in the field of educational technology.
In his first conversation, Magí interviewed our CEO and founder of Immersium Studio, Luis Villarejo.
Luis explained how Immersium Studio came about from its beginnings and how the application of Virtual Reality improves learning in several aspects, such as content retention thanks to the emotional component that these immersive experiences provide.
The VR headset allows you to enter a virtual space, isolate yourself from your surroundings, and place yourself in a specific situation. For example, in an experience we developed for nursing students at Pompeu Fabra University and Hospital del Mar, we recreated scenarios involving gender-based violence. The students watched this experience individually in class, all at the same time, playing the role of a healthcare professional, and then discussed their reactions. The common denominator was that they all experienced different emotions, such as helplessness; they didn’t know how to act, they didn’t know the protocols to follow, whether to call for security, etc. This feeling motivated them to research and learn more about all the steps to take in case they found themselves in a similar real-life situation, so they would know how to act.
With a digital tool, we can generate emotions that bring us closer to reality; it’s like learning by doing. Students learn best through clinical simulations, where they work on a case, and just below that are our resources, which provide a recorded simulation that can be repeated as many times as necessary, significantly reducing human, logistical, and economic costs.
We are delighted to participate in UOC initiatives like this one, where we can share our experience in entrepreneurship and explain how immersive learning through Virtual Reality can add real-world practical value to theoretical training. Experiencing something firsthand provides an emotional connection that theoretical learning simply cannot. Emotions lead to greater content retention, and users feel more equipped to handle similar situations in their personal and professional lives.
