Students of the UPNA Degree in Psychology know the possibilities that virtual reality offers in their training

Third-year students of the Degree in Psychology at the Public University of Navarra (UPNA) have had the opportunity to learn about the possibilities offered by virtual reality through practical training developed in the UPNA’s virtual reality laboratory. The activity, led by Professor Esperanza Bausela Herreras, is part of the Teaching Innovation Project “Virtual reality in the psycho-instructional context of the Degree in Psychology: pilot proposal” approved in the 2023-2024 call.

The practice with virtual reality has been designed with the aim of providing students with a unique and immersive learning experience. Through this cutting-edge technology, students have the opportunity to step out of the comfort zone that classes represent, explore new tools for their application in the professional practice of the Educational Psychologist - both in diagnosis and intervention – and get to know and explore the possibilities and limits of the virtual world.

Within the framework of this project, several actions have been developed. Specifically, and after an analysis of the students’ needs, virtual reality has been applied in two subjects of the branch of psychology of the life cycle and education: Psychology of Instruction (compulsory subject) and Psychological Attention to Diversity (optional subject), in which the application “Nemo Island. An accessible adventure” has been used thanks to the collaboration of the professor of Electromechanical Engineering at the University of Burgos Pedro Sánchez Ortega, author of the aforementioned application.

“Isla Nemo, Una aventura accesible”, “Nemo Island, An accessible adventure” is part of the project “VRiRV. For a Virtual Reality for all” developed by the University of Burgos. It is a free and open access program, especially suitable for people with cognitive or psychomotor difficulties.