Designing adaptable virtual reality learning environments

The EAST (Scientific and technical learning environments) project aims at stimulating the interest of young people for science through virtual reality environments, based on industrial assets. Although training and learning environments are classical applications of virtual reality, the design of these environments is generally ad hoc, hence requiring the intervention of programmers whenever a modification of the pedagogical scenario is required. In this paper, we propose a methodology to design virtual environments which can be adapted by teachers to implement different scenarios according to the level of the trainees and to the pedagogical objectives. Current demonstrators include a windmill with three different learning situations: simulator, safety training and preventive maintenance training.