Virtual reality classroom shared with international audience

A ground-breaking virtual reality classroom devised by a member of staff at Derby College Group has been shared with an international audience.

Glyn Pickering, an advanced practitioner at the college, recently presented his innovative creation, the ‘AI Mind Palace’, to esteemed audiences at the British Education Research Association and World Education Research Association conferences held at Manchester University.

The AI Mind Palace project highlights the integration of cutting-edge AI technology into education, offering transformative opportunities for students to enhance their learning and memory retention.

Glyn is now currently in discussions at an international level with representatives from several countries on how they can implement it into their education systems.

AI Mind Palace is designed to help students reduce their anxiety in exam conditions while providing them opportunities to learn and revise using the latest AI advancements to support them.

The development is highly effective in preparing students for their exams.

By utilising the latest technology, it reduces anxiety by providing students with a virtual version of their exam room, along with access to mock papers and quizzes.

This familiarises them with the environment and materials, helping them feel more confident and prepared.

A virtual mind palace functions like a mental filing system, stored on a computer or digital device.

It allows users to remember information by mentally linking it to specific places or objects in a virtual space, rather than a physical one.

Glyn said: “I’m thrilled to have completed my presentation on behalf of Derby College Group, showcasing my novel development of the AI Mind Palace at the University of Manchester.

“Presenting to the British Education Research Association and World Education Research Association was an incredible opportunity – it is a massive stage for educational research.

“I’m proud of the work we’ve done and feel confident that I did justice to the research, the participants, and the innovative potential of this project.”

Glyn is currently involved in a number of local and national events to showcase to other educational institutions how they can freely replicate the resource in their own settings.

He said: “It’s really exciting to be able to give students the opportunity to experience their learning virtually from any location on any device from anywhere in the world.

“It really helps the students to prepare for further study and the waiting world beyond.”