School visits to a physics research laboratory using virtual reality

TL;DR

This paper explores using virtual reality to simulate school visits to a physics research lab, providing an accessible and cost-effective alternative to physical visits for students worldwide.

Contribution

It introduces a VR application that enables virtual lab visits, demonstrating its potential to democratize access to science experiences for high school students.

Findings

Positive feedback from teachers and students

VR effectively simulates real lab environments

Potential to increase interest in STEM careers

Abstract

School visits to research laboratories or facilities represent a unique way to bring students closer to science and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers. However, such visits can be very expensive for students and teachers, in terms of both time and money. In this paper, we present a possible alternative to on-site visits consisting inan activity addressed to high school students that makes use of a VR application to make them enter into a particle physics experiment. This proposal can represent a valid way of guaranteeing a visit to a research centre for all schools, regardless of their social or geographical origin. We describe the tests we carried out with a focus group of teachers and their students, and the obtained results.