Towards a Virtual Reality Collaborative Platform for Animal Experimentation

This article introduces Virtual3R, a platform that uses collaborative virtual environments to simulate animal experimentation scenarios while respecting the ethical and educational principles. Virtual3R represents an evolution from the VEA project, integrating collaborative learning, introducing new functionalities, and incorporating learning situations developed through a close partnership with biology teachers. The primary focus of this article centres on the virtual pedagogical activity model adopted by the platform. This model, a flexible framework guiding virtual learning interactions, comprises several interconnected components, including virtual activities, actions, learning situations, virtual objects, and animations. Additionally, the article outlines experiments conducted to validate both the VEA platform and different versions oWirtual3R, representing an evolution from the original VEA. These experiments were carried out in collaboration with two biological engineering departments of the University Institutes of Technology in Laval and Lyon, France. They demonstrated user satisfaction with the proposed platforms and provided insights into the challenges and opportunities of simulation-based learning.