On October 19, 2025, a focus group on applying virtual reality (VR) in education was held at the Learning Resource Center, Can Tho University. The event brought together around 28 participants, including representatives from the Departments of Education and Training of Vinh Long Province and Can Tho City, vice principals of high schools, lecturers from Can Tho University, and geography teachers from across the Mekong Delta.

Key insight

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Mekong Institute, Can Tho University, was the key speaker, delivering a presentation titled “The Historical, Ecological, Livelihood, and Cultural Stories of the Delta and the Current Situation of Saltwater Intrusion in the Mekong Delta.”

Dr. Le Anh Tuan emphasized that adaptation to salinity intrusion is not merely a technical issue, such as restructuring crops, building salinity barriers, or storing freshwater, but also a story intertwined with culture, history, and the community’s creativity in adapting to natural conditions. He particularly noted that in educational environments, teachers should help students understand the human dimension of the issue, so that salinity intrusion is seen not only as a natural phenomenon, but as a process that shapes livelihoods, practices, and the cultural identity of an entire region.

Main activities

The focus group aimed to create a professional platform for lecturers, the teachers taking part in the project, researchers, and the technical team to exchange experiences in applying VR technology to teaching, within the context of the Mekong Delta. 

The participants worked on refining the learning scenario and VR gameplay on saltwater intrusion. The teachers also tested the educational game and proposed a learning reflection sheet to help students evaluate their personal experiences with this innovative educational content.

Next steps

Based on the feedback collected from all the participants, the SIMPLE project team will be working to finalize the game and the learning scenario before more teachers’ training in the future.