Applicability of Virtual Excursions in Technical Subjects Teaching

Abstract

During the covid pandemic period of 2019–2020, teaching was carried out via homeschooling, and secondary vocational schools had to deal with the problem of ensuring the implementation of excursions, which were a part of their apprentices’ practical training. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of people at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra (Slovakia) came up with a plan to develop some virtual excursions to help secondary vocational schools replace field trips with their virtual counterparts. In the paper, the authors describe the results of the stated intention: two virtual excursions aimed at the production and processing of metal products and verification of their applicability in educational practice based on a qualitative analysis of expert opinions collected by means of individually led semi-structured interviews. The conclusions of the analysis confirm the high degree of usability of the created excursions and verify some positive impacts of the implementation of virtual excursions into the teaching practice, e.g., it increased student motivation to learn, increased student interest in lesson content, increased student activity, and intensified study activities overall, including various forms of self-study.

1. Introduction

During the covid pandemic period of 2019–2020, teaching was carried out via homeschooling, and technology became the main means of connection and communication in student–teacher and student–student interactions, as well as an essential tool for schools to provide lifelong learning opportunities [1,2,3]. A problem that secondary vocational schools had to deal with was practical vocational training and student excursions. The acquisition of professional skills and work experience in practical training and excursions is an important part of the vocational education of apprentices at secondary vocational schools [4]. These skills and experiences cannot be acquired in a traditional school setting. Virtual-reality education was already emerging as a potential method due to its immersive nature; it can provide a safe, curated, experiential experience and can be delivered at low cost. Coronavirus came along and forced everyone to think more seriously about this issue because they could not go on field trips anymore and were looking for an at-home replacement.

In this context, a group of people at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra came up with the idea of replacing field trips with their virtual counterparts to help secondary vocational schools and developed the methodology behind it [5,6,7]. This idea resulted in the production design of two virtual excursions aimed at presenting the production and processing of metal products, backed up by necessary instructional materials. In this paper, we briefly present the previously above-mentioned materials and analyze the results of the verification of their applicability in educational practice on the example of secondary technical education to be sure that virtual excursions are acceptable alternatives to real face-to-face excursions.

2. Application of Virtual-Reality Tools in Education

The technology of virtual reality (VR) is an excellent educational tool, enabling students to visit places otherwise inaccessible to them. It makes virtual spaces seem real, offering students the opportunity to experience and perceive the inaccessible reality as a common environment [8,9].

On the other hand, the implementation of virtual-reality tools into the teaching process requires teachers to change their usual methods and approaches [10,11,12] to teaching. This applies to virtual field trips even more during a virtual tour of premises. The teacher can make students aware of other parts of the company enterprise, which, for security reasons, are inaccessible to students during their physical visit to the enterprise. Students may observe machine components, elements, or parts of the enterprise from different points of view, which visitors are normally not allowed to do. In this context, Del Río Guerra points out the fact that different students have different learning needs and preferences [13].

There is a general assumption that the phenomenon of virtual reality in education is a novel idea that might contribute to the increased interest and motivation of learners in a particular subject matter. However, as Prensky points out, modern technologies have already become a common phenomenon for younger generations, called digital natives [14,15]. In this context, the use of modern technologies in education could be perceived as potentially motivating for older generations only. Therefore, greater attention should be paid to designing suitable educational software for younger users [16].

Nonetheless, some digital natives are less used to utilizing technology in their learning activities than their counterparts. For this reason, educators cannot automatically expect the same level of involvement in digital technologies across the whole population of digital natives. Naturally, they should expect greater differences within the generation of digital natives itself than between this generation and the other generations, i.e., the generation of the so-called digital immigrants [17]. At this point, we can conclude that learners acquire knowledge more or less quickly regardless of their age, and this holds true for the classroom use of digital technology, too. First and foremost, educators must understand how to use technology to support and enhance their students’ learning process [18,19,20,21].

However, irrespective of the students’ differing learning needs and preferences, research focusing on the impact of virtual and augmented reality in education usually confirms the following benefits for students:

• Higher motivation,
• Deeper immersion,
• Broader cooperation during knowledge transfer.

The positive impact of virtual and augmented reality on education includes increased student motivation, deeper enjoyment in learning, and increased attention to the subject matter [22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30]. Researchers have especially emphasized the motivational impact of virtual reality, mainly with respect to the natural sciences and the teaching of technical subjects. According to their opinion, the visualization features of virtual and augmented reality support students’ interest in learning the above-mentioned subjects, as these tools help to transfer abstract concepts into a tangible reality. Moreover, these tools also help to eliminate misconceptions. Arymbekov [22] adds that virtual environments seem to have a more significant impact at upper secondary and tertiary educational levels compared to lower secondary education, mainly in the fields of engineering, manufacturing, and construction. Makransky, Borre-Gude, and Mayer [28], in agreement with the above-mentioned authors, confirm the positive influence of virtual reality on students’ motivation; however, at the same time, they point out that there is no evidence that these tools would significantly enhance students’ skills development. As the research results of Arends and Kilcher [31] show, it is not enough to visualize the subject matter only; one must practice and experience the reality of everyday life.

While the above-mentioned authors describe the general aspects of virtual reality in education, contributing to increased student motivation, Kavanagh and his colleagues [32] distinguish between two distinct types of motivation connected to the use of virtual reality, i.e., pedagogical (extrinsic) and intrinsic motivation. In line with the views of Huang and his colleagues [33] they emphasize the role of pedagogy, based on which any innovation in the teaching process should begin. When using virtual reality in either the teaching or learning process, some kind of user interaction with the virtual reality is either expected or required. This paradigm is in line with John Dewey’s pedagogy—constructivism, pragmatism, experimental inquiry, as well as Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky’s psychological theories—sociocultural theory of cognitive development and theory of the zone of proximal development [34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43]. Dewey, in his pedagogy (constructivism theories) [34,35], claims that education should be experimental and experiential, interconnecting the learner’s knowledge and ideas with experience, which correlates with the obvious benefits of the use of virtual-reality elements in education. At the same time, Vygotsky’s ideas related to the zone of proximal development and the theory of social constructivism correlate with the benefits of the collaborative potential of a virtual-reality learning environment [44].

The most frequently quoted pedagogical motivation aspect of the use of virtual reality is implementing constructivism principles into the process of education [45]. In addition, there is quite a broad scope of other pedagogical motivation aspects, including the implementation of active, project, and scenario-based learning to enrich education with practical, real-world skills [46] or the use of VR to facilitate personalized learning [47].

Immersion is a psychological phenomenon that makes the individual believe that they have left the real world and are, at the moment, present in the virtual environment with all their might. Edwards et al. [26] emphasize that the immersion of students in the virtual environment through new VR systems supplemented by helmet-mounted displays boasts multiple benefits, including multisensory and tactile learning and an enhanced understanding of abstract concepts.

Immersion in the digital environment can be linked with intrinsic motivational aspects. While motivation refers to a person’s desire to fulfill a given task or to participate in a learning activity, immersion refers to the person’s tendency to stay on it [48].

According to Sharma and Otunba [49], the feeling of “being there” in the virtual digital environment enables us to conduct experiments more realistically on how people would behave in a given situation. For Pena-Rios and his colleagues [50], one of the reasons for designing a mixed-reality laboratory operated within a VR environment was to explore the users’ perception of their presence in it.

However, there also are some disadvantages connected to virtual reality, one of which is the danger of becoming a gambler, someone addicted to playing computer games. Ewert and his colleagues [51] compare the gambler’s perception of their immersion in the virtual world of a gaming situation to being caught in a gaming circle, in which the term immersion is used to describe the intense involvement of a gamer in the virtual world of the game, allowing them to lose themselves in it. Contrary to Ewert and his colleagues’ above description of being immersed in the virtual gaming environment, the average immersion of a person in the digital environment is understood as an effect of VR systems providing the user/visitor with the feeling of presence, which, in the case of educational applications can be used to focus the learner’s attention on the relevant subject matter. Although VR systems have often been associated with games, contrary to expectations, they are not put to frequent use in education [23].

Another disadvantage of VR systems pointed out by authors is cyber sickness or kinetosis. According to Leung and Hon [52] it is a quite common phenomenon accompanying one’s stay in the virtual-reality world. Its symptoms include nausea, headache, dizziness, and spatial disorientation. Furthermore, staying in cyberspace can lead to the development of physiological trauma—the individual not being able to differentiate between virtual experiences and actual reality [53,54].

The phenomenon of increased cooperation during the process of information transfer in virtual-reality learning environments has partially been referred to above. Many authors [9,25,55,56,57,58,59,60] reason that, in comparison with conventional teaching materials, virtual-reality systems offer students more interactive and interesting possibilities to act in teams thanks to the collaborative nature of these environments. Learners are probed to explore and solve problems by means of cooperation with each other, using digital content and collaboration with the teacher, even if they might be only remotely present. Additionally, virtual-reality systems bring such learning environments into the class, which evoke the desire to play and share experiences with classmates.

For education purposes, virtual environments provide safe platforms for simulated activities that might otherwise prove too difficult or dangerous in real life [61]. The second group of virtual educational environments simulates a classroom or a laboratory [62]. Kamińska, together with her colleagues [62], proposes a VR applications taxonomy based on learning outcomes and objectives. The taxonomy is categorized into remembering and understanding, using the acquired knowledge in either familiar or challenging situations. This categorization reflects the development and training of higher-order thinking at its core [63,64]. Similarly, Hamilton, McKechnie, Edgerton, and Longman [65] point out that virtual-reality environments, as a pedagogical tool in education, are used mainly with the intention to teach the learner (user of the virtual-reality environment) some specific declarative information or knowledge (i.e., to influence the cognitive domain), with the intention to teach the learner how to perform a specific task or learn psychomotor (i.e., to influence the procedural domain), or with the intention to influence the learner’s growth in areas related to emotions and attitudes (i.e., to influence the affective domain and the relevant skills).

3. Creation of Virtual Excursions

Following the pandemic, our aim was to assist vocational schools in replacing in-person excursions with virtual field trips. The primary challenge involved selecting appropriate topics and enterprises for these field trips. Given the diverse range of specializations within vocational education, we wanted to develop a solution applicable across multiple disciplines. The virtual trips had to serve not only students but also as a resource for lifelong employee training. Our goal was to ensure their wide applicability and reusability in various educational and professional contexts.

Based on the analyses of the State Educational Programs [4] of the majors of secondary vocational schools, as well as with respect to the needs of the labor market and employers’ requirements, a decision was made to focus the planned virtual excursion on the idea of production and processing metal products. Ultimately, two virtual excursions were developed, both on the same topic (the production and processing of metal products), but each of them on different premises of another enterprise. One enterprise is a producer of aluminum profiles, dominantly for the automotive industry, and the other one is a producer of stair lifts. They both serve as training workplaces for dual vocational education and training (Constellium Extrusions Ltd., Levice, Slovakia, and Otolift Schodiskové výťahy Ltd., Palárikovo, Slovakia).

The development of virtual excursions was preceded by the specification of the platform that would optimally implement virtual excursions into the educational processes. In our case, YouTube was identified [5] as the best choice. On this platform, we created the NEPTUNE channel, which is primarily intended for viewing virtual-reality-supported excursions. To create a virtual excursion, it is necessary to have equipment capable of handling all the required steps during the process. First, it is a camera enabling the digital capturing of an environment suitable for a virtual field trip. We had two possibilities to do it: either by taking photographs, which would later be stitched together in post-production, allowing for arbitrary movement in virtual space, or by using short spherical video sections introducing the user, in our case, students, to the virtual environment of the place/enterprise. Our goal was to design and develop virtual excursions for secondary vocational school students to enable them to better understand the work processes involved in an aluminum profile processing plant and the production of stair lifts. The previous experience of creating virtual excursions had proved that it is suitable to create expositions from 20 to 30-s shots. 360° videos were recorded with special cameras that capture the entire 360° of the scene and can be displayed in a 3D sphere. For shots taken in enclosed spaces, including production halls and industrial lines, it is essential to correctly set the ISO values on the camera due to the poor artificial lighting and excessive distortion of dark areas in these spaces [5].

Virtual excursions begin with the storage of materials necessary for production, referred to as input factors of the manufacturing process. The height at which the camera is placed is also important, as it should match the average height of an adult for a better visual effect. A camera equipped with two 180° sensors should have no obstruction in its field of view to capture full-quality shots. Some areas of the manufacturing process are normally restricted to enter, but they were included in our virtual trip to provide students with a better understanding of the production process.

The camera used for the virtual excursion was equipped with Wi-Fi and a reliable mobile application, allowing us to control all settings and camera positions before recording the spaces. During the recording, it was necessary to comply with the safety instructions of the enterprise or facility where the recording took place. For the proper timing of shots during production, we had to maintain a precise camera relocation every 4–6 m. This distance allows for the continuity of shots thanks to the camera’s focus range, as the recording was saved directly to the device’s memory card or a mobile phone, depending on the user’s preference.

We used Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2019 to edit the footage. During the editing phase, we refined the timing of sections and adjusted the color grading, which was important for the final effect. After careful consideration, we added subtitles or descriptions to individual section points, referred to as infographics. Meanwhile, it was necessary to process the metadata for proper footage stitching from both camera lenses. The processing of the virtual excursion recording had to be of the highest quality to avoid imperfections, errors, and defects in the final stage of production. These errors often occur due to incorrect data transfers between the camera, mobile device, or computer.

The video was exported using the H.265 video standard for VR HQ, which has the necessary codec for playing these videos. For the future, a better solution would be to innovate it with 8K resolution and process in the new H.266 standard. Exporting our virtual excursion was not the end. Among the many available players and systems providing an unparalleled virtual excursion experience, our choices were limited due to the cost of these platforms. YouTube was selected to share the excursions with students. A significant advantage was the platform’s ability to use virtual excursions on mobile devices, VR headsets, as well as laptops and tablets. This versatility is an irreplaceable advantage for students in terms of usability, especially when choosing the device or location to participate in the virtual field trip.

When viewing a 360° video at the center of an imaginary sphere, users can freely control their viewing direction by changing tilt, yaw, and rotation. During playback, besides normal video playback, one must also use projection to render the content in the user’s current field of view based on their head orientation. Various projection algorithms are used by platforms like YouTube, CubeMap, and Facebook. The width and height of the field of view are usually determined by the fixed parameters of the VR headset [66].

The final versions of both developed virtual excursions trips (Virtual Excursion of a Robotic Line to Process Metal Products I and Virtual Excursion of a Robotic Line to Process Metal Products II) are available on the following links (open access):

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG-0d8gZXFw (accessed on 13 July 2024)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDT7b5cjoic&t=41s (accessed on 13 July 2024)

Additionally, three guides (manuals) were created to accompany the virtual field trips: one common Technical Guide and two Methodology Guides—I and II, separately for each of the two virtual excursions.

The Technical Guide includes both step-by-step instructions for installing the excursions, allowing for the full use of the virtual excursions, and detailed instructions about how to use the virtual excursions in online as well as in offline mode. The Methodology Guides I and II contain previews and descriptions of the processes on the production lines “which the participants of the excursion pass by”, all complemented by pertaining commentary.

4. Methodology

The main goal of our research was to verify the implementation of the materials we had created, Virtual Excursion of a Robotic Line to Process Metal Products I and Virtual Excursion of a Robotic Line to Process Metal Products II, together with the three created guides, Technical Guide, Methodology Guide I, and Methodology Guide II for teaching technical subjects at secondary vocational schools [67].

The verification of the applicability of the virtual excursions was based on an analysis of expert opinions collected from semi-structured interviews. It was completed in several steps:

• Step 1: Identifying the research sample of schools

In the first phase of the verification, our task was to determine the research sample of schools willing to test the applicability of the designed virtual excursions [68]. The research sample of schools was based on convenience sampling. Several secondary vocational schools within a close geographical range were contacted to participate in the piloting of the virtual field trips. The key criterion when choosing the school was its major in metalwork and processing metal materials. In response to our invitation several schools agreed to take part in the piloting.

• Step 2: Identifying the group of evaluators

In the second phase of the virtual field-trip testing, our task was to bring together a group of experts willing to evaluate the didactic materials. We had quite a lot of problems with this because some of the addressed experts, or the school managers, did not agree to take part in the pilot, reasoning that the interviews were to be recorded, to which they did not want to agree. Therefore, finally, only those schools and experts who agreed with the recording of the interviews and subsequent publishing of the research results were included in the research sample of schools and the group of evaluators.

• Step 3: Preparation of the conditions for piloting the teaching materials in practice

In the third phase of the verification, we prepared the conditions for piloting the teaching materials in the educational process at each of the selected schools. In this phase, we helped the experts (teacher(s) from the given school) become familiar with the tested materials, which they were expected to use and then evaluate.

The sequence of the management steps in relation to the schools was as follows [69]:

• explain and discuss the reasons and goals of the research (with a focus on the research intervention) with the school management;
• obtain the final agreement of the school management with the school’s participation in the research and appointing the relevant expert(s) by the school management;
• contact the appointed expert(s);
• familiarize the school management and experts with the created virtual trips and explain to them the way to assess their applicability to the teaching process;
• set the dates of the piloting of the materials in each school, as well as the dates for the semi-structured interviews with each of the experts involved.

• Step 4: Pilot implementation of the created teaching materials at the schools

In the fourth phase of the verification process, the teacher(s) from the schools taught a lesson corresponding to the subject content with the created virtual excursions. This meant that the experts did not assess the materials from a theoretical point of view but based on their own experience of working with them during the class. At this point, they were already aware of the key assessment questions of the semi-structured interviews, to be conducted after the material piloting.

• Step 5: Semi-structured interviews with the group of the experts

In the fifth phase of the verification process, semi-structured interviews were conducted to assess the materials. The interviews were conducted with every expert on an individual basis according to the agreed schedule [70].

During the preliminary discussions with the experts, the following steps were agreed upon with them:

• They were acquainted with the background, reasons, and goals of the pilot research.
• They were briefed about the materials to be evaluated and were provided access to them.
• Various possibilities and methods of pedagogical intervention of the tested materials were discussed.
• The specific conditions of the research were discussed., i.e., the excursions supported by virtual reality in the teaching process and the way of assessing their applicability in practice.

In addition to evaluating the applicability of the newly created materials, we also wanted to understand what challenges the experts faced during the preparation phase for teaching and during the teaching process, how the students perceived the virtual field trips, and whether the approach to teachers to teaching changed after the introduction of virtual excursions. For this, the discussion during the semi-structured interviews revolved around the following eight key questions:

• What was difficult and caused you any problems during the lesson planning or teaching the lesson?
• What are the advantages of virtual excursions?
• What are the disadvantages of virtual excursions?
• Did the preparation for the lesson go well or were there any changes you had to introduce as to the content of the trip (necessity to modify the scenario of the taught lesson)?
• How did the students perceive virtual excursions, and how did they complete the set tasks (students’ evaluation of the excursions and provided instructions)?
• Has the students’ attitude to teaching changed after the introduction of the virtual field trips into the teaching process (was there a positive impact of the intervention of the virtual excursions on students’ knowledge? Would the students like to have more presentations of virtual excursions)?
• How do you evaluate the concept of virtual excursions (including the Methodology and Technical Guide)?
• How do you evaluate, as an expert, the usability of the assessed materials in practice?

The interviews were recorded (with the agreement of each of the experts), and consequently, the records were transcribed.

• Step 6: Evaluation of the applicability of the created excursions

The evaluation of the applicability of the excursions by the experts was based on a qualitative analysis of the semi-structured interview records.

5. Description of the Research Sample of the Schools and Group of the Evaluators

In the piloting, a group of ten experts from seven secondary schools was involved and collaborated with us during the intervention process. Six of the given schools were (as originally planned) secondary vocational schools, the seventh one being a high school, for comparison purposes.

The characteristics of the schools involved in the project (their type and location, majors) and of the participating experts (evaluators) are as follows:

• School A

• Secondary Technical Vocational School in Šurany, offering relevant majors:

  -

  Mechanic Mechatronic (Programming of Mechanical and Electrical Systems);

  -

  Mechanic Setter (Programming of Computer-Controlled Systems);

  -

  Mechanic Electrician (Automation and Control Technology);

  -

  Metalworker (Operation and Setting of Metalworking Machines).

• Expert 1

  -

  a teacher with 10 years of teaching experience;

  -

  university education in the field of Mechanical Engineering;

  -

  teaching third- and fourth-grade students—the subject of Computing Technology.

• Expert 2

  -

  a teacher with 21 years of teaching experience;

  -

  university education in the field of Technical Physics;

  -

  teaching third and fourth-grade students—subjects of Automation and specific technologies and techniques.

• School B

• S. A. Jedlík Secondary Industrial School of Electrical Engineering in Nové Zámky, offering pertinent majors, such as:

  -

  Electrical Engineering;

  -

  Information and Network Technologies;

  -

  Technical and Information Services in Electrical Engineering.

• Expert 3

  -

  a teacher with 14 years of teaching experience,

  -

  university education in the field of Applied Informatics,

  -

  teaching fourth-grade students—subjects of Informatics and Mechanical engineering.

• Expert 4

  -

  a teacher with 17 years of teaching experience;

  -

  university education in the field of Applied Informatics and Industrial Automation;

  -

  teaching second, third, and fourth-grade students—subjects of Mechanical Engineering and Technical Drawing and Economics and Management.

• School C

• Secondary Vocational School of Transport and Services in Nové Zámky, offering relevant majors:

  -

  Autotronics and

  -

  Digital Media Graphics.

• Expert 5

  -

  a teacher with 31 years of teaching experience;

  -

  university education in the field of Applied Mathematics;

  -

  teaching students from the second to fourth grade—subjects of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanical Technology, Applied Computational Techniques, and Vocational Training.

• School D

• Secondary Technical School in Komárno, offering relevant majors:

  -

  Electrical Engineering;

  -

  Mechanic and Machinery Equipment and

  -

  Mechanic Electrician.

• Expert 6

  -

  a teacher with 13 years of teaching experience;

  -

  university education in the field of Material Engineering;

  -

  teaching students from second to fourth grade—subjects of Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Machines, Mechanisms in Production, and Technical Mechanics.

• School E

• High School in Nové Zámky:

  -

  unlike the other schools, this school does not have a technical focus (the school was incorporated into the research additionally).

• Expert 7

  -

  a teacher with 17 years of teaching experience;

  -

  university education in the field of Management;

  -

  application of virtual excursions within the subjects of Financial Literacy and Technology to demonstrate the continuity and smooth operation of the production process of the relevant metal products.

• School F

• Secondary Technical School, Tlmače, offering matching majors:

  -

  Programmer of Welding and Mechanical Machines and Equipment;

  -

  Mechanic Mechatronic;

  -

  Mechanic of Machinery and Equipment and

  -

  Mechanic Electrician.

• Expert 8

  -

  a teacher with 11 years of teaching experience;

  -

  university education in the field of Technology and English Language;

  -

  teaching from second to fourth-grade students—subjects of Technology and Mechanical Technology.

• Expert 9

  -

  a teacher with 15 years of teaching experience;

  -

  university education in the field of Control Systems in Production Engineering;

  -

  teaching first to fourth-grade students—subjects of Machinery and Equipment, Technical Mechanics.

• School G

• Secondary Technical School of Technology, Services, and Commerce in Štúrovo, offering suitable majors from the aspect of our research, including:

  -

  Mechanic Mechatronic;

  -

  Mechanic Electrician and

  -

  Mechanic of Machinery and Equipment.

• Expert 10

  -

  a teacher with 22 years of teaching experience,

  -

  university education in the field of Mathematics and Informatics Teaching,

  -

  teaching third and fourth-grade students—subject Mechanical Engineering.

6. Results

Table 1. Occurrence of the observed categorial units recorded in the interviews with experts 1–10.

Categorial Unit	Frequency Of Its Occurrence: Number Of Experts Who Stated It
positive reactions of students to the virtual excursions	9
negative reactions of students to the virtual excursions	1
positive assessment of the instruction of students during the virtual excursion	9
negative assessment of the instruction of students during the virtual excursion	1
the students’ interest in additional virtual excursions	9
benefits of the intervention of the virtual excursions into the teaching practice	10
positive impact of the intervention of the virtual excursion on students’ knowledge	10
the occurrence of changes in students’ attitudes to the teaching process after intervention	10
necessity to use the Methodology Guide or Technical Guide	10
sufficient content of the Methodology Guide	8
necessity to modify the lesson plan	2
teacher’s interest in further intervention using virtual excursions in their teaching practice	9
possibility to incorporate virtual excursions into teaching technical majors	10
viability to use virtual excursions in schools not specializing in technical majors	4
possibility to use virtual excursions within apprenticeship schemes	10

presents an overview of the occurrence of the observed aspects recorded in the semi-structured interviews.

Conclusions of the qualitative analysis of the evaluations of the created and piloted didactic materials by the experts involved confirmed their applicability at secondary vocational schools within the relevant technical study branches. The experts’ evaluations unanimously confirmed a high degree of usability of both created virtual trips. Moreover, the experts believe that the virtual excursions may also be applied in other fields, such as, for example, for industrial and corporate training purposes, i.e., the training of new employees or job seekers. These ideas emerged spontaneously as part of the interviews with the experts; we did not direct any of the interviews in this direction.

Nonetheless, the research was focused on evaluating the applicability of virtual excursions in teaching technical subjects; other schools and majors have also emerged with a high potential to use these teaching aids. Specifically, we are referring to teaching such subjects as financial literacy and technology in secondary grammar schools or economics and management at other types of upper secondary schools.

Additionally, the findings of the qualitative analysis of the interviews with the experts proved several positive impacts of the implementation of virtual excursions into teaching practice. They included increased student motivation to learn, increased student interest in lesson content, increased student activity, and intensified learning activities in general, including various forms of self-study. Moreover, the materials positively impacted the attractiveness of the teaching profession, making it look more modern and up to date.

The suggestions indicated by the experts were taken into consideration when modifying the final version of the Technical Guide and two Methodology Guides—I and II.

7. Discussion

Based on the presented research, it is not possible to generalize any substantial conclusions for three reasons.

The first reason is the small research sample of secondary schools in which the pilot research was carried out. As stated above, the call for participation in the pilot implementation of the teaching materials was, in practice, distributed only to those schools that are easily accessible to us; out of these, only a small number were willing to participate in the planned research. In our opinion, the most significant hindrance to taking up the challenge to use virtual-reality tools was the lack of previous experience, both on the side of the staff and the school. Even though many studies have been published regarding virtual reality in educational practice, there is still a low number of teachers properly trained to use VR in teaching. There is a lack of teachers with acquired relevant practical skills and a systematic understanding of the practical aspects of the inclusion and use of these technologies in education [71].

The second reason is the small number of experts who participated in the evaluation of the applicability of the didactic tools in teaching practice. We were looking for experts among the teaching staff of the upper secondary schools who accepted our invitation to take part in the piloting. However, we were faced with the dismissive attitude of the staff towards taking up the position of evaluator in the research, which negatively impacted the final number of schools with whom we could cooperate.

The third and most significant reason why it is not possible to generalize the findings is the fact that within the presented pilot research, there was no space to observe and assess the impact of the long-term pedagogical intervention of the virtual trips on the students and their development as well as on achieving teaching and learning goals.

In our opinion, the most important benefit of the implementation of the created materials is the recorded increase in students’ motivation to learn, their interest in lesson content, and their active involvement in learning activities in general, including various forms of self-study. This impact was partially caused also by the fact that the designed virtual trips were created directly in the enterprise, which is a producer of aluminum profiles and which also cooperates with some of the secondary vocational schools as a training workplace for their apprentices within the system of dual vocational education and training.

From our point of view, further research should be carried out to extend the results and the applicability of our research. Sadly, only a very limited number of school staff have any experience with or have been trained to use virtual-reality systems in their teaching practice, despite the fact that the development of virtual technologies over the last decade has significantly increased, including the creation of effective and appropriate educational products (tools).

8. Conclusions

Virtual educational platforms are offering novel alternatives in remote educational processes, reducing limitations and increasing visualization and feelings of reality. Due to their inbuilt three-dimensional information-channeling properties, they are making it possible to more actively involve students in the study of educational materials and increase their interest in interaction as well as overall concentration. Implementation of these tools into education is very important from the point of view of quality assurance, mainly in secondary vocational education and training, as mastering the practicalities of these tools is proving an important step in the effective vocational training of apprentices, resulting in increased accumulation of their working skills and experience. In conditions of technologization, the pedagogical model is being reoriented from a knowledge-based to a results-based model. The acquisition of educational content is no longer a simple accumulative model of implementation but a specifically designed model of skills and competencies direction with a focus on the professional requirements of employers for future specialists.

Although beyond the topic of this paper, in which students are the essence, a teacher remains the key factor in any useful implementation of virtual-reality tools in education and training. As stated above (in the section, Application of Virtual-Reality Tools in Education), this new situation requires teachers to change their usual teaching methods, techniques, and procedures [10,11,12,13]. On the one hand, we are facing the problem of the insufficient use of virtual reality in the educational process [72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79,80], but on the other hand, it is well understood that this new phenomenon represents new challenges for teachers as they have to face the problem of its practical use in teaching and training processes. In addition, this is another issue to which attention should be paid.