HSE EDUCATION: The IUT of Poitiers is betting on virtual reality with Immersive Factory

In the face of technological shifts and the growing demands of the professional world, Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) training must constantly adopt agile and immersive pedagogical methods. At the IUT of Poitiers, Niort, Châtellerault, the HSE University Bachelor of Technology (BUT) has made the strategic choice to integrate virtual reality into its curriculum. Caroline Benay, Head of the Department, shares her transparent and detailed feedback after two years of using the SafetyBox VR© solution developed by Immersive Factory.

A meeting guided by innovation and trust from the field

"I discovered Immersive Factory through two complementary channels. First, during an internet search for innovative health, safety, and environment training solutions, specifically using the keywords 'HSE virtual reality'. Additionally, about five years ago, an HSE BUT apprentice showed me a demonstration he had experienced within his host company.

The fact that Immersive Factory's solutions are already deployed in companies across various sectors was a major factor of trust in my choice. This presence in the professional world reflects the relevance of the tools offered and their alignment with the operational needs of organizations regarding prevention and safety training."

The SafetyBox VR©: diversifying methods to prepare for the future

"We chose the SafetyBox VR© as part of our desire to diversify the pedagogical methods offered to HSE BUT students. As future prevention professionals, they will be required to design and lead training and awareness initiatives in health, safety, and environment. It therefore seemed essential to familiarize them with various innovative educational tools, such as board games, serious games, and virtual reality.

The SafetyBox VR© is mainly used during practical work. It allows us to place students in realistic professional situations involving risks, while guaranteeing a completely safe environment. These scenarios provide a particularly interesting medium for analyzing learners' reactions, developing their observation skills, and guiding them to propose prevention measures adapted to the situations encountered.

We also use several modules for hazard hunt exercises, notably on themes like co-activity and on-site interventions. Finally, certain scenarios are deployed to raise students' awareness of electrical risks and familiarize them with the principles associated with electrical certifications. The frequency of use is regular throughout the academic year, depending on the relevant courses and the targeted educational objectives."

Immersion as a driver of attractiveness and safety culture

"The use of virtual reality meets several pedagogical objectives. First, it is part of our commitment to diversify teaching methods in order to offer complementary approaches to more traditional pedagogical methods.

Virtual reality also acts as a driver of attractiveness for students, fostering their engagement and involvement in training activities through immersive and interactive scenarios.

Finally, as a program that prepares students for careers in health, safety, and environment prevention, it seems important to us to familiarize them with educational developments and innovative tools they are likely to use in their future professional practice. Today, virtual reality is one of the solutions used by certain organizations to raise awareness, train, and develop a safety culture. It is therefore highly relevant for our students to understand its strengths, limitations, and conditions of use."

A measured feedback: the rigor of academic analysis

"At this stage, our feedback remains necessarily measured, as we are only in our second year of using the solution. It therefore seems premature to make a definitive assessment of all the benefits and limitations of virtual reality in our teaching. Nevertheless, an initial strong point already stands out clearly: the ability to place students in realistic professional situations that they would not easily have access to within the framework of their training. Virtual reality thus makes it possible to replicate complex or restricted-access work environments, such as a nuclear power plant, and to address risk identification as well as the associated prevention measures under near-real conditions.

This ability to offer immersive scenarios, while guaranteeing learner safety and avoiding significant logistical constraints, constitutes the main added value we have identified to date. Regarding areas for improvement, we feel it is still necessary to gain more perspective and experience before we can formulate well-founded and objective observations."

Impact on learning and long-term perspectives

"To date, we do not yet have sufficient hindsight to objectively and documentarily measure the impact of virtual reality on learning or the skills developed by students. After only two years of use, it seems premature to draw definitive conclusions or to reliably compare the results obtained before and after integrating virtual reality into our teaching. Nevertheless, we observe a strong interest from students in this type of educational tool and high engagement during the sessions. However, evaluations over a longer period will be necessary to accurately assess its contribution to the program's educational objectives."

To conclude this interview, when asked the crucial question of whether she would recommend the SafetyBox VR© to other institutions or professional organizations, Caroline Benay's answer is unequivocal:

"Totally!"