VR Lab – An Environment for Research on Teaching and Teacher Education in Virtual Reality

Description of the VR Lab

The VR Lab of the Department of Educational Sciences is a specialised teaching and research environment equipped with virtual reality technology. It is used to operate a fully immersive VR classroom system that enables student teachers to engage in realistic teaching simulations in virtual classrooms. The simulated learning environments replicate both physical settings and dynamic classroom situations.

Within virtual teaching scenarios, users can move freely around the classroom, give presentations, and interact and communicate with AI-controlled student avatars. The system employs technologies such as eye tracking, speech recognition, and motion tracking. The VR Lab serves both educational research on teaching and practice-oriented teacher education. In block seminars, key aspects of professional teaching  practice—particularly classroom management and conducting classroom  dialogue—are explored, practised, and subsequently reflected upon in a  theory-informed manner within the virtual environment.

The VR Lab is located at Marlene-Dietrich-Allee 16, 14482 Potsdam, in close proximity to the Griebnitzsee campus, opposite the Film University.