For many apprenticeships, it is difficult to provide vocational trainees with sufficient situations in which they can learn and practise the intended vocational activities. Enriching vocational training with technology-supported experiential worlds using virtual reality (VR) is, therefore, very promising. However, VR is rarely methodically used in vocational training, which can be attributed to, among other things, a lack of experience and research.

In a joint project from the ZHAW School of Management and Law and PH Zurich, a VR learning environment for prospective electrical specialists was therefore developed and tested. The specialist expertise was provided by practice partners Bandara, BKW Building Solutions, Elektrobildungszentrum Effretikon and the professional association EIT.swiss. The project was funded by the Digitalisation Initiative of the Zurich Higher Education Institutions.

Better grades thanks to virtual reality

For the project, the ZHAW School of Management and Law developed a prototype of a VR learning environment that allows students to practice testing an electrical installation in a virtual garage with VR glasses. PH Zurich contributed to the educational concept. “We know that learners in complex technical processes – whether real or virtual – are often highly challenged and require structured support. This is why we have enriched the VR simulation with a help and question system, along with game elements, in order to make it an effective VR learning environment”, explains Martin Berger, an educational scientist from PH Zurich.

A field study compared the performance of 68 Swiss assembly electricians and electrical installers in their last year of training before and after their examination preparation: 35 students used virtual reality to prepare for the practical exam, while the other 33 students used traditional learning methods. It turned out that assembly electricians, in particular, benefited from the VR solution. They were able to improve in their final exam by almost a whole grade compared to learners without VR. “We were very pleased with the result: it underlines the potential of VR to improve equal opportunities in basic vocational education”, summarises co-project leader and ZHAW researcher Thomas Keller.

Enrichment of vocational training

VR enables the apprentices to learn and experiment with a variety of challenging, or even potentially dangerous practical activities, any time and anywhere. Those responsible for the study felt the need to emphasise that VR should in no way replace real-life practicals and contact with the trainers. “We see virtual reality solutions as a valuable addition to basic vocational education and training. The results of the project indicate that educational-based virtual experiences and learning spaces can support vocational training and be effective in building professional skills”, says ZHAW researcher and co-project leader Elke Brucker-Kley. The prototype of the VR learning environment is currently being further developed by Bandara for the more than 300 apprentices at the Bauman-Kölliker Group.

Virtual reality as a place of learning for basic vocational education and training

Digitalisation Initiative of the Zurich Higher Education Institutions

The Digitalisation Initiative (DIZH) aims to promote collaboration between Zurich universities in the field of digitalisation and thereby strengthen Zurich as a research and business location. The University of Zurich, the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, the Zurich University of the Arts, and the PH Zurich systematically network in DIZH to specifically advance research and innovation on digitization issues with interdisciplinary approaches.