Yeovil College has been exploring the use of immersive learning across a range of curriculum areas, including Early Years, Plumbing and Foundation Learning. As part of this approach, the college introduced the Preparing for Adulthood with SEN/ALN program by Metaverse Learning to help learners develop practical life and employability skills in a safe, engaging environment.
The immersive program includes realistic scenarios designed to help learners build confidence and independence, including:
The program was trialed with Foundation Learning students, including learners who had never used virtual reality (VR) technology before, as well as students with some experience in immersive learning.
For many SEN/ALN learners, practising real-world situations can feel overwhelming. Busy environments, social anxiety, and fear of making mistakes can sometimes create barriers to participation and confidence-building.
Yeovil College wanted to explore how immersive learning could complement traditional teaching methods by giving learners the opportunity to practise important life skills in a controlled, supportive environment before applying them in real life.
Alongside this, there were also understandable concerns from some teaching staff around introducing VR technology into the classroom, including:
Working alongside Metaverse Learning, Yeovil College introduced the Preparing for Adulthood with SEN/ALN immersive learning scenarios as part of classroom delivery within Foundation Learning.
Learners experienced realistic, repeatable situations that reflected the topics already covered in lessons. The supermarket shopping and independent living scenarios quickly became the most popular, giving students the chance to practise everyday tasks, communication and decision-making in a safe and familiar setting.
To support successful implementation:
The immersive nature of the program also helped create a calmer learning experience for some learners, allowing them to engage with scenarios without the pressure of a busy real-world environment.
The pilot received highly positive feedback from both learners and staff.
Tutors found that immersive learning reinforced classroom topics while giving learners a memorable, engaging experience.
Students particularly responded well to practising practical life skills in a safe environment, receiving feedback within the scenarios and learning in a way that felt fun, relevant and engaging
The college found learners who were initially nervous about the technology became more confident over time with guided facilitation.
Importantly, the program demonstrated how immersive learning can help SEN/ALN learners engage with real-life situations at their own pace, supporting confidence, familiarity and independence before stepping into those situations in reality.
While the feedback from learners has been anonymised, some of their comments included;
āI love how interactive the modules areā
āIt was easy to use, and I found it interestingā
āJust fun and interestingā
āEpicā
One tutor who delivered the training commented, āāThe content is relevant to the students and is useful for their studiesā
āIt was a really good way of giving students an opportunity to try out those skills like going to a shop, or taking a bus, which they can now go out and practice in real lifeā
ā Chelsea Abbott, Senior Digital Technologist, Yeovil College
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