In a world where access to advanced scientific training often requires costly equipment and resources and those without are at a significant disadvantage in the international jobs market, the 3DI Virtual Reality (VR) Institute has developed a new paradigm approach to equality that seeks to bridge these stark educational divides across the globe. This innovation aligns with ACEEU standards by exemplifying institutional commitment through its dedication to transformative education and using internal support structures to sustain and scale its VR-driven initiatives effectively.
This VR-based initiative, born out of a collaboration between University College London (UCL) in London, UK and Marmara University in Istanbul, Turkey and funded by the British Council, offers a new model for entrepreneurial universities to democratise high-level scientific education by bringing fully interactive learning into a virtual building and a low-cost VR headset. This development builds on research carried out by the Hilton group at UCL into new technologies and how they can impact global collaboration (Hilton 2022). During the pandemic, the group moved their research into a digital direction, exploring how VR can bring the world together despite geographic distances, and developed their own in-house VR-software for this purpose. The fruit of this research has now been realised with the creation of the 3DI institute, where its approach centres on accessibility and practical, hands-on learning. Using low-cost VR headsets or PCs (Hilton 2024 and Hilton 2023), modified for the needs of the 3DI institute, students around the world can now access training in 3D printing and laboratory techniques without the need for physical laboratories or real versions of modern equipment. This new paradigm approach by the 3DI institute is designed to democratise training, providing a high-fidelity, cost-effective alternative that caters to under-resourced communities and that also provides training in any language via the use of intelligent multilingual conversational AI avatars that are present within the centre.
Image of the 3DI Virtual Centre
A Virtual Lab Built for Real-World Skills
The 3DI Institute’s virtual building is designed to replicate a traditional lab building in every sense. Based across four floors featuring lifts to move between these, it features designated training rooms, equipment rooms, collaborative spaces, and conference facilities. This structure typifies the ACEEU standard of internal support structures by providing a robust, well-organized framework that enables immersive learning, efficient resource allocation, and collaborative engagement, ensuring sustainable and scalable training solutions. By using digital twin technology, students interact with virtual replicas of 3D printing equipment, gaining hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology all without the need to travel for training. This digital twin concept allows UCL and Marmara University to offer practical training without the need for physical laboratories, making scientific education more accessible and scalable for universities, particularly those looking to reach a wider, global audience.
Around-the-Clock Support through Multilingual AI
In many educational settings, language and time zones can typically limit students' access to training and resources and stymie international collaboration. The 3DI Institute addresses these challenges head on, via the adroit incorporation of multilingual conversational digital-twin AI avatars of real people and their knowledge. These avatars are available in the 3DI centre and can offer support anytime and anywhere in a language that students can understand and feel comfortable talking in. This feature enables students from across the globe to receive guidance in their native languages, building a more inclusive learning experience and removing language as a barrier to advanced training. Universities considering this same approach to VR integration can also enhance accessibility by embedding multilingual conversational AI avatars. This addition offers personalized support that bridges gaps and creates a seamless learning environment for students from any background.
Building Collaborative Networks Across Borders
The success of the 3DI Institute is due in large part to its collaborative model with Marmara University. Through a ‘train the trainer’ approach, the institute facilitated the transfer of essential technical skills and knowledge to Marmara’s faculty from UCL, enabling sustainable and successful adoption of VR technologies. This approach laid the groundwork for a model that can be expanded and adapted by other institutions seeking to build meaningful international partnerships. For institutions embarking on similar VR initiatives, establishing partnerships with clear goals and a training framework is essential. Cross-training not only promotes effective adoption of new technology, but also builds lasting networks that enhance collaboration and innovation in education. The adoption of new technology is challenging, but with the right planning, it is simple and straightforward.
A Sustainable Model for Global Learning
By minimizing the need for physical travel and resources, the 3DI Institute has created an environmentally conscious model for virtual collaboration. We estimate that this approach has reduced the institute’s global collaboration travel carbon footprint by over 60%, underscoring VR’s role in supporting sustainable practices within higher education. With the flexibility and scalability of VR, the 3DI Institute offers a model that aligns with universities' sustainability objectives, paving the way for more resource-efficient global education solutions.
Looking Forward: Expanding Access to Science Education
The 3DI Institute’s next steps involve expanding its model to support more disciplines and reach additional communities. Through partnerships with schools and under-resourced institutions, the institute aims to inspire future scientists by providing them with early access to VR-based scientific training, where we can bring the 3DI institute to schools via low-cost headsets. Giving children access to scientific training at an early age will increase the numbers interested in STEM, having a great impact on the future prospects of both the UK and Turkey.
Student undergoing 3D printing training in the centre
Summary
The 3DI Institute exemplifies the potential and power of VR-driven education. Through immersive technology, multilingual support, and collaborative efforts, it sets a new standard for accessible, sustainable scientific training. As institutions worldwide look to innovate, prioritising scalable digital solutions, partnerships, and inclusive features will be key to creating impactful educational experiences. This success underscores the vital role of institutional commitment and robust internal support structures in driving meaningful and lasting change in education.
M. Taylor, N. Bin Abdullah, A. Al-Dargazelli, M. Benito Montaner, F. Kareem, A. Locks, Z. Cao, B. Bowles, S. Schafhauser, J-C. Sarraf, T. Fajinmi, Z. Muwaffak, C. Beckwith, G. N. Parkinson, Z. A. E. Waller, B. R. Szulc and S. T. Hilton, Breaking the Access to Education Barrier: Enhancing HPLC Learning with Virtual Reality Digital Twins, Journal of Chemical Education, 2024, 101, 4093-101. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c00540
A. Al-Dargazelli, A. Locks, M. Taylor, S. T. Hilton, HPLC Training for All: Integration of Multi-Language Artificial Intelligence (AI) Avatars in Virtual Reality (VR) Digital Twin Laboratories, ChemRxiv, 2024, https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv-2024-q511z.
M. Taylor, Z. Muwaffak, M. R. Penny, B. R. Szulc, S. Brown, A. Merritt, S. T. Hilton, The Rise of the AI Scientist: Unleashing the Potential of Chat-GPT Powered Avatars in Virtual Reality Digital-twin Laboratories, ChemRxiv, 2023, https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv-2023-t4vg7.
S. T. Hilton, Using the pandemic as a driver for innovation in research, Nature Reviews Methods Primers, 2022, 2, 17. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43586-022-00106-w
The cover image is of students working on 3D printing in the laboratory using VR
Images Credit: Stephen Hilton and Sema Gunduz