Using VR technology to break down barriers in the adult education service: Audrey Dempsey

Life-long learning is the corner stone of the Adult Education Service, with students from 18 to 80 years. On a daily basis we see the effects of disadvantaged communities, low rates of formal education, early school leavers, long-term unemployment, unmet literacy needs, learning difficulties, and English language requirements. Will this technology further disenfranchise people or can it be used to break down barriers?

In Ballymun FET College, we recently completed a research project to determine the appropriateness of VR technology for life-long learners at all levels. Concentrating on the development of soft skills, we integrated VR into a variety of programmes from level 2 – 4 and English from Intermediate to Elementary (B1-A2).