The objective of this proposal is to contribute to the improvement of moral education globally, by presenting the conceptualization of a Virtual Reality (VR) solution for using moral dilemmas in virtue education at lower secondary education level. The importance of moral education at school is widely recognized (OECD, 2021; UNESCO, 2021). During the COVID-19 pandemic a variety of digital tools and technologies were globally provided to the digital education space, and an almost complete shift to online learning took place (e.g., Ndzinisa & Dlamini, 2022, Janschitz & Penker, 2022). Digital skills refer to students’ ability to use digital devices, applications, and networks to access and manage information when performing assignments and acting in the society (Agarkov et al., 2021; Butina, 2020; Skola2030, 2017).

In Latvia also wider digital opportunities appeared in the educational environment. The Cabinet of Ministers has regulated the use of the virtual environment in the organization of the learning process in the future (Cabinet of Ministers, 2021), and a number of practitioners are currently using digital tools at school for giving or getting feedback, sharing opinions, or reflecting together (e.g., ‘KailoEdu’, ‘Kaizena’ and ‘PearDeck’), for collaborative work between students (e.g., ‘Padlet’, ‘Miro’), for using quizzes and polls (‘Mentimeter’, ‘Kahoot’), for formative assessment (‘uzdevumi.lv’) and for enhancing the quality of presentations (‘Canva’, ‘Prezi’), as well as for virtual communication (‘Kumospace’, ‘FlipGrid’, ‘Virtuāla skola’), and finding learning resources (‘Skolas Mape’, ‘DigiKlase’).

However, a need analysis implemented in Latvia (2017-2019) concluded that, while there is awareness about the necessity of moral education (know why) and about the actors involved (know who), there is still a lack of practical knowledge (know-how) regarding digital resources for moral education at school. The need of digitalisation of education provoked by the COVID-19 made the need for an online moral education curriculum more urgent. The current study, funded by the Latvian Council of Science (2022-2024), aims, among other things, at the digitalization of a recent character education curriculum (the ‘e-TAP curriculum) by providing interactive learning possibilities for moral education.

In relation with the use of new technologies in education, five levels of contact with reality have been recently taxonomized (Dreimane, 2020): Physical Reality –no digital information overlay, interactions are entirely dependent on interaction in physical environment; Augmented Reality (AR) –interaction with the real world while using an ‘additional’ digital information overlay; Augmented Virtuality – a virtually augmented physical environment; Mixed Reality (MR) –interaction with both real and virtual world, including the functionality of interaction and manipulation of objects; and Virtual Reality (VR) –a completely digital environment, closed off from the physical environment. Virtual reality has been defined as a world created by technical means and communicated through the human senses: sight, hearing, touch, etc. (Cīrulis, 2012). Technically, environments are provided where the immersion level is very high, with the human senses of sight and hearing being the most prominent in artificial environments. Virtual reality is used more and more often nowadays in education because it allows saving financial resources, does not require to access physically to learning objects, and speeds up the learning process.

In this context, the aim of the research is to contribute to the improvement of the digitalization process in moral education globally, and in particular to gain practical knowledge about how to use using moral dilemmas in virtue education in VR environment. The research question guiding the research was: What are the steps to follow for designing a VR experience for virtue education at lower secondary education level, which would include immersive experience of a moral dilemma?

During the research, VR will be used for visualizing the moral dilemma students will be involved with. The main methodological steps for the elaboration of the VR solution were defined in collaboration with a VR company (Vividly). The elaboration of the VR solution will follow 3 steps: In phase 1, the content architecture package for the VR scenario will be developed, and the learning design and user experience strategy will be defined. For building the content side around the scenario, learning designers and facilitators on interactive information architecture will work with project teachers for formulating the moral learning outcomes (“low points”) and customizing existing digital learning tools. The team will use iterative, agile working methods involving design thinking and hands-on workshops. In phase 2, a first version of a minimum viable VR experience will be created (“Iteration 1”) and tested with 5 students. Criteria and indicators for testing will be developed and feedback for further improvements will be collected. In phase 3 the final VR solution including a moral dilemma will be developed and validated (“Iteration 2”). The updated (final) version of VR experience will be pivoted with ca. 30 students from different schools, final feedback will be gathered, and the overall process and impact will be assessed. The company will lead the design thinking process with project experts (Phase 1) and will provide teachers the know-how to use VR in the classroom (methodical material) (Iteration 1). It is foreseen that the research process will be carried out using the stimuli presentation and data collection platform iMotions Core, which allows to design VR studies, present different stimuli in virtual environment, and to collect, mark, annotate and export data. The software is capable of providing automated eye-mapping technology, where eyes are transformed from dynamic environments into static scenes to simplify data collection and analysis VR is not about hardware nor a platform, but about a moral experience. After “living” the VR experience of selected dilemma, face-to-face reflection will be done in the classroom. The study will use focus group discussion and a questionnaire for addressing differences between reflecting on moral dilemmas on paper, in computer, and experiencing them in immersive VR.

The use of moral dilemmas in VR settings might have a high added value for moral education, as it provides situated engagement with moral issues (spatial thinking and feeling), triggers real moral emotions, creates a feeling of presence (responsible decision making in real time) and provides a new moral experience (simulation of countless variations of moral situations). This project is intended to be a contribution for the improvement of the European educational practices in a digital world and also a step forward for enhancing education-academy-business collaboration in the field of moral education.

Agarkov G.A., Sandler D.G., Sushchenko A.D. (2021). Год после вспышки COVID-19: восприятие потенциальными студентами качества высшего образования в контексте цифровизации и смешанного обучени [A Year after the Outbreak of COVID-19: Applicants’ Perception of Higher Education Quality in the Context of Digitalization and Blended Learning]. Integration of Education, 25(4), 646-660. https://doi.org/10.15507/1991-9468.105.025.202104.646-660 Butina E.A. (2020). Цифровизация образовательного пространства: риски и перспективы [Digitalization of educational space: risks and prospects]. Professional education in the modern world, 10(2), 3695–3701. https://doi.org/10.15372/PEMW20200207 Cabinet of Ministers (2021). Noteikumu projekts “Attālināto mācību organizēšanas un īstenošanas kārtība” [Draft Regulation “Procedure for the Organisation and Implementation of Distance Learning”]. https://www.izm.gov.lv/lv/attalinato-macibu-organizesanas-un-istenosanas-kartiba Cīrulis, A. (2012). Virtuālās realitātes izmantošana tehnoloģisko procesu vadības apmācības pilnveidošanā. [Using of virtual reality to improve training of technological process control]. Doctoral dissertation. Jelgava: Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies. http://llufb.llu.lv/dissertation-summary/information-technologies/Promocijas_darba_kopsavilkums_LV_EN_ArnisCirulis_LLU_ITF_2012.pdf Dreimane, L. F. (2020). Taxonomy of Learning in Virtual Reality. Doctoral dissertation. Riga: Latvijas Universitāte. https://dspace.lu.lv/dspace/bitstream/handle/7/52396/298-77550-Dreimane_Lana.Franceska_ls16121.pdf Janschitz, G., & Penker, M. (2022). How digital are ‘digital natives’ actually? Developing an instrument to measure the degree of digitalisation of university students – the DDS-Index. Bulletin of Sociological Methodology/Bulletin de Méthodologie Sociologique, 153(1), 127–159. https://doi.org/10.1177/07591063211061760 Ndzinisa, N., & Dlamini, R. (2022). Responsiveness vs. accessibility: pandemic-driven shift to remote teaching and online learning. Higher Education Research & Development, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2021.2019199 OECD. (2021). Embedding Values and Attitudes in Curriculum: Shaping a Better Future. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/aee2adcd-en. Rezer Т. М. (2021). Social Values of Students in Conditions of Digitalization of Education and COVID-19. Integration of Education, 25(2), 226-243. https://doi.org/10.15507/1991-9468.103.025.202102.226-243 Skola2030. (2017). Izglītība mūsdienīgai lietpratībai: mācību satura un pieejas apraksts [Education for modern competence: Description of study content and approach. Nacional National Centre for Education. https://static.lsm.lv/documents/ge.pdf UNESCO. (2021). Reimagining Our Futures Together: A New Social Contract for Education. Report From the International Commission on the Futures of Education. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000379707