College brings plumbing lessons to life with virtual reality

Plumbing students at Oaklands College will be able to revisit practical workshop demonstrations through virtual reality, thanks to a new project developed by their tutors and the College’s Digital Innovation team.

Using the College’s 360-degree cameras, the Plumbing team is recording demonstrations that students can watch through VR headsets. The immersive recordings give learners the feeling of being present in the workshop, helping those who have missed a session or want to refresh their understanding after a lesson.

Practical demonstrations are an important part of learning plumbing techniques, giving students the opportunity to see how a task is carried out before attempting it themselves. Recording these sessions creates an additional resource that learners can return to as they develop their understanding, alongside the teaching and guidance they receive in the workshop.

The first recording features a pipe-bending demonstration delivered by tutor Mark Norris, highlighting how maths is applied to practical plumbing tasks. It brings together the demonstration of a physical technique with the calculations that underpin it, helping students connect their classroom learning with its application in the workshop.

The teaching team, headed by Eden Longley, has worked closely with Digital Innovation to plan and film the demonstrations. John Vincent supported the team in bringing this first VR project to life.

By allowing students to revisit demonstrations, the project offers another way to reinforce the techniques and calculations taught during practical sessions and support their hands-on learning. Students who want to review a particular part of a demonstration will have another opportunity to observe the process and refresh their understanding before putting it into practice.

A two-dimensional desktop version is also planned for the College’s online learning platform, Canvas, allowing students to watch the demonstration without a VR headset. This will provide an alternative way to access the recording and revisit the teaching content.

Anna Fairchild, Future Technology & Learning Environments Manager, Oaklands College, said:

“Our Plumbing team has recognised an opportunity to use technology to support students’ practical learning. Being able to revisit a demonstration gives learners another chance to look closely at a technique, refresh their understanding and build confidence before applying it in the workshop.

“This project shows what can be achieved when teaching staff bring their ideas and subject expertise together with our Digital Innovation team.”

The plumbing project forms part of a wider approach to using immersive technology across the College. Health and Social Care sessions have also been taking place in its new iPlatform at the Welwyn Garden City campus.

Using Igloo’s shared immersive classroom technology, the space features large interactive displays, 360-degree audio-visual environments and flexible layouts that allow groups to explore learning content together. The College plans to expand its use across curriculum areas.

For prospective plumbing students, the VR project offers an insight into how Oaklands is combining practical teaching with digital innovation to help learners develop their skills.