Revolutionising ESOL Education with Immersive Technology at NCCG

NCCG successfully piloted Metaverse Learning‘s Virtual Reality (VR) platform, transforming English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) education developed in partnerships with Ascentis for its diverse student body. This case study highlights the impact of VR/VE (Virtual Environment) implementation on engagement and learning outcomes.

About Nelson and Colne College Group (NCCG)

• Founded: The Group was born in November 2018 with the successful merger between Nelson and Colne College and Accrington and Rossendale College.
• Location: NCCG is spread over 3 campuses within East Lancashire: Nelson, Accrington and Northlight (in Brierfield).
• Students: NCCG is home to 2,400 16-18-year-old A Level and vocational students, 16,500 adult learners, 1,300 Apprentices and 400 Higher Education students.
• Recognition: NCCG key achievements are: Number two College in the Country; The only Outstanding FE College in Lancashire; Number one College nationally for Adult achievements at all levels.
• Partnership: Ascentis ESOL customer, with prior Metaverse Learning implementations in Health & Social Care and Construction.

Trial Overview

The trial involved 66 ESOL students from Entry Level 1 (15 students), Entry Level 2 (19 students), and two distinct groups of Entry Level 3 (32 students total – Academic & Technical, (with the Academic group preparing for GCSE English exams). Four separate groups were identified based on level of ability and their timetable availability.

• Participants: 66 ESOL students (Entry Levels 1-3).
• Duration: Two weeks of sessions, with each of the four groups having one 1.5-hour session per week.
• Platform: Metaverse Learning VR/VE ESOL scenarios.
• Delivery: VR headsets and interactive whiteboard displays.
• Cost: Provided gratis through the Ascentis partnership.
• Personnel: Project led by Helen Kendall, supported by 4 ESOL teachers.

Measurable Impact:

• Engagement: 100% voluntary participation by session two, emergent peer teaching, student requests for more sessions, improved focus.
• Learning: Built-in scoring, improved vocabulary and comprehension, demonstrated practical skill transfer.

Survey Results:

A total of 41 learners from all groups participated in a learner survey following the trial, and here are the results:

Implementation Approach

NCCG adopted a flexible dual-delivery model for accessibility and diverse learning preferences:

• VR Headset Experience: Immersive individual learning with peer and teacher support.
• Interactive Whiteboard: A collaborative learning tool for students who are uncomfortable with headsets. For these students, dedicated sessions were run on a Clevertouch Interactive Whiteboard, encouraging direct interaction with scenarios displayed on the board, while others used VR headsets.
• Casting Technology: VR content was also displayed on screens for collective problem-solving.

As one teacher explained, “We put it up using the interactive whiteboard… everybody could take part because obviously, you’ve got to think of accessibility.”

During the first sessions, students received an overview of the case study’s purpose, the eight modules, and instructions on using the VR headsets and software. Most groups completed three modules in the first week, finishing the remaining five in the second as they became more comfortable with the VR headsets.

Learner Engagement & Outcomes

Progression across Sessions: Learner engagement dramatically increased:

• Session 1: Initial hesitation with controls.
• Session 2: Full, voluntary participation.
• Session 3: Complete immersion and natural peer-to-peer teaching.

A teacher observed, “By the third lesson, we’ve lost them all in the world. It’s brilliant, because the interaction between them all, helping each other with the tasks, was really good.”

Skill Development: Students showed significant improvement in:

• Communication Confidence: Reduced anxiety when speaking with native speakers.
• Practical Vocabulary: Acquisition of context-specific terminology.
• Real-world Preparedness: Familiarity with common UK scenarios.
• Cultural Knowledge: Understanding of British systems and customs.

One student noted, “It’s really helpful because most of the time ESOL students are shy about talking with different people… But in this VR, they allow you to experience. Also, no one judges you about your accent or about your faults…”

Learner & Teacher Feedback

Learner Perspective: Students found the VR experience “really fun” and “much better than reading…,” praising its ability to make learning feel like “playing games.” They appreciated the practical application, especially the travel scenarios. One of the learners remarked, “My favourite one was the travelling one because there are two blocks there… I have some information about Wales and Scotland, including how to book a ticket with an agent and how to communicate with them. So that was very fun” and felt more focused than in traditional classes explained another learner “We learned like we can focus there… when we went to their session we were focused there and listen their instructions and it was good. It was quite good than the other classes.”

Teacher Observations: Teachers found the content to be aligned with the existing curriculum and valued the built-in assessment features for checking understanding.  One of the teachers attested, “I quite like the plenaries at the end on these platforms because they have all got a percentage”. They compared their percentages, saying “’What percentage did you get? What percentage did you get?’ So that was a good way of checking their understanding.” Teachers recognised technology’s role in exciting students and fostering self-directed learning “I think that would be really useful going forward, technology’s obviously the in thing and it gets students excited, and they want to try something new.”.

Implementation Insights & Challenges

Recommendations:

• Teacher Training: Staff should experience the modules as ‘students’ first to understand the challenges, one of our interviewees explained, “I think one of the things we’ve learned from it, our staff need to spend some time doing it as though they are students, looking where the hard bits are, because we don’t want the software or lack of knowledge with the software to actually interfere with the learning.”
• Regular Use: Consistent weekly sessions help students master the software and VR controls “I would use it regularly so that the students remember how to use the software and how to use the VR. Because we were doing it every week… They were building and it was getting faster and faster” explained one of the tutors.

Challenges & Solutions:

• Initial Technical Hurdles: Addressed with dedicated practice and peer mentoring, reflecting on the trial one of the teachers explained: “What I would suggest going forward is you don’t just do it once, you do it possibly at the beginning of the curriculum year and then you do it later on when you’re more familiar, because you’re learning two things, well, three. You are learning the language, you are learning the headset, and you are learning the scenario.”
• Accessibility Concerns: Resolved by offering interactive whiteboard alternatives for students experiencing discomfort with VR headsets “And that’s why it’s important to have the flexibility to have it as a VE and as a VR.” Remarked one teacher.
• Content Difficulty: Varied scenarios (5-8) provided appropriate challenge for higher-level students. As one of the staff explained, “Because I teach on Entry 1 and Entry 2, I found that scenarios 1-4 were the simplified versions…” but the later ones, 5, 6, 7 and 8, they were a bit more challenging; they were a bit more like ‘real-life’ scenarios.”

Broader Applications

The trial revealed potential beyond ESOL, including:

• Foundation Learning (Level 1-2 English)
• Life Skills Training
• Social Care Education (healthcare communication)
• Induction Programs (British lifestyle, British citizenship)

Future Implementation & Impact

Immediate Next Steps: NCCG hope to integrate the more challenging VR scenarios into its full curriculum, offer weekly sessions, provide comprehensive teacher training, and integrate assessments from the start of the academic year.

Long-term Vision: Expansion to foundation-level English, development of new scenarios, integration with other subjects, and use as an assessment tool for progression.

Conclusion

Nelson and Colne College Group (NCCG) VR/VE pilot highlighted the transformative power of immersive technology in language education. By providing an engaging, judgment-free space for practical communication, the platform significantly boosted student confidence and competence. As one student summarised, “It’s easy to learn new communication skills… when we came back out of that session, we knew a lot of new stuff to communicate.” This initiative positions the college as an early adopter, bridging the gap between classroom learning and real-world application, and better preparing ESOL students for integration into UK society.