Abstract
Digital technologies are transforming higher education, and social care programmes are no exception. Our project, ‘co-creation of Virtual Reality (VR) caregivers, within the ATU module ‘Futures of Care, Society and Welfare’ module, addresses digital transformation in learning and teaching, fosters student partnership and leverages immersive learning in an innovative pedagogical approach.
In a landscape increasingly shaped by AI and robotics, social care practitioners must learn to engage with technology rather than be replaced by it; or they may choose in a reasoned way not to use digital technologies. ‘VR caregivers’ serve as interactive simulations, allowing students to experiment with realistic care scenarios, evaluate ethical dilemmas and refine professional competencies. By co-producing VR caregiver avatars, students actively shape the learning content and develop critical insights into empathy, trust and the essence of human care.
This immersive learning environment challenges assumptions about care as exclusively human, prompting debates about commodification, data privacy and the changing nature of professional identity. Students can bridge accumulated theoretical knowledge with hands-on practice. Lectures, student-led workshops and reflective discussions accompany the VR simulations, creating a holistic approach to professional formation.
This project highlights student partnership: not passive recipients of tech-based instruction, but co-creators who inform avatar design, communication protocols and scenario development. This offers students a tangible role in shaping tomorrow’s care technologies.
The development of VR caregivers helps students to reimagine social care education by combining humanistic values with technological innovation. As our pedagogical research aims to demonstrate, immersive pedagogies not only equip students with essential competencies for a future of digitised care, but inspire deeper reflection on how we define, deliver, and regulate ‘care’ in a digitally transformed society.
In a landscape increasingly shaped by AI and robotics, social care practitioners must learn to engage with technology rather than be replaced by it; or they may choose in a reasoned way not to use digital technologies. ‘VR caregivers’ serve as interactive simulations, allowing students to experiment with realistic care scenarios, evaluate ethical dilemmas and refine professional competencies. By co-producing VR caregiver avatars, students actively shape the learning content and develop critical insights into empathy, trust and the essence of human care.
This immersive learning environment challenges assumptions about care as exclusively human, prompting debates about commodification, data privacy and the changing nature of professional identity. Students can bridge accumulated theoretical knowledge with hands-on practice. Lectures, student-led workshops and reflective discussions accompany the VR simulations, creating a holistic approach to professional formation.
This project highlights student partnership: not passive recipients of tech-based instruction, but co-creators who inform avatar design, communication protocols and scenario development. This offers students a tangible role in shaping tomorrow’s care technologies.
The development of VR caregivers helps students to reimagine social care education by combining humanistic values with technological innovation. As our pedagogical research aims to demonstrate, immersive pedagogies not only equip students with essential competencies for a future of digitised care, but inspire deeper reflection on how we define, deliver, and regulate ‘care’ in a digitally transformed society.
| Original language | English (Ireland) |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 2025 |
| Event | WORK2025: Work in the Era of Unruly AI - Turku University, Turku, Finland Duration: 20 Aug 2025 → 22 Aug 2025 https://work2025.fi/ |
Conference
| Conference | WORK2025 |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | WORK2025 |
| Country/Territory | Finland |
| City | Turku |
| Period | 20/08/25 → 22/08/25 |
| Internet address |
Keywords
- virtual reality (VR)
- care
- pedagogy
Name of Affiliated ATU Research Unit
- HEAL - Health and Biomedical Research Centre
