To advance the integration of immersive technologies in classrooms, the SIMPLE project organized a two-day teacher training workshop at Can Tho University on April 19–20, 2025. The workshop introduced educators to Virtual Reality (VR) tools and pedagogical methods for teaching environmental issues, with a special focus on salt intrusion in the Mekong Delta.

On April 19th and 20th, 2025, the SIMPLE project team organized a two-day teacher training workshop at Can Tho University (CTU), marking a significant milestone in the project’s implementation in Vietnam. The training aimed to equip educators with practical skills and pedagogical approaches for integrating Virtual Reality (VR) into classroom learning, especially on sustainability-related topics.

The workshop introduced participating teachers to SIMPLE’s Virtual Universes (VUs) – immersive educational tools designed to bring environmental issues closer to students. In particular, the training highlighted a Vietnam-exclusive VU focused on salt intrusion in the Mekong Delta, one of the most urgent environmental challenges facing the region today due to its far-reaching socio-economic impacts.

The training was delivered in three structured sessions:

Session 1 provided an overview of the SIMPLE project and the role of VR in environmental education. Teachers were introduced to the conceptual design of the salt intrusion VU, co-developed with CTU.

Session 2 offered both theoretical insights and hands-on experience with VR headsets. Teachers worked in groups to draft lesson plans for both control and experimental classes. The plans were designed in alignment with Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) Circular 5512, ensuring their applicability within Vietnam’s national curriculum framework.

Session 3 included trial teaching sessions, classroom observations, and collaborative feedback discussions. These activities allowed teachers to refine their lesson plans and strengthen their teaching strategies through peer reflection and evaluation when using VR in education.

This training empowered teachers not only to become confident users of VR technology but also to reimagine science and sustainability education in a more immersive approach. It reinforced SIMPLE’s commitment to use innovative combinations of serious games, scientific models and virtual reality activities to give every child access to evidence- based knowledge and experiential learning about environmental issues in the classroom – not only in Vietnam but across the broader ASEAN region.

Looking ahead, the SIMPLE team at CTU plans to implement additional training sessions, focusing on experimental teaching approaches with greater involvement and feedback from students themselves.