Formative Assessment of Inquiry Skills for Responsible Research and Innovation Using 3D Virtual Reality Glasses and Face Recognition

This exploratory study examines the experience and views of students about 3D Virtual Reality Glasses (3DVRG) and e-authentication systems. The authors developed the “Virtual Reality Classroom” App, which is an Open Educational Resource based on 360 photos of the renowned “Bletchley Park”. Participants were 2 groups of students from the UK and Brazil who explored in pairs this App using a 3DVRG in the classroom and also completed a formative assessment activity using the TeSLA face recognition system. Our research question focuses on whether the students’ interactions through the 3DVRG enhance learning and assessment of inquiry skills for Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). Findings suggested that the combination of authentic scenario, interactive tasks and assessment-in-context helped students acquire new information and connect with their existing knowledge and practice the inquiry skills together. These interactions enhanced their immersion, particularly for those who found the activities fun as they did not experience motion sickness. Three types of interactions were identified between students with: the virtual space (1), their peer (2) and the topic (3). These three interactions propitiated, respectively, students virtual, social and cognitive presence, which supported their experiential learning.