Strengthening Health Educators’ Competence in XR Methods

Strengthening health educators’ XR competence

Duration of the project

1.1.2026 – 31.12.2027

Source of funding

Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Central Finland (ESF+)

Total funding

247 398 €

The XR‑ope project strengthens health educators’ competence in using extended reality (XR) in education and training. The project supports teachers and clinical experts in adopting XR technologies pedagogically and in independently creating XR‑based learning materials. The aim is to lower the threshold for using XR devices, integrate XR into curricula and everyday teaching practices, and establish a permanent XR network to support continuous knowledge sharing beyond the project. The target group consists of health educators at different educational levels in Southwest Finland.

Strengthening Health Educators’ Competence in XR Methods (XR ope) is an ESR+ funded development project aimed at enhancing the competence of health educators and clinical experts in using extended reality (XR) in education and training. Extended reality (XR) is an umbrella term that includes virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR).
The project is based on an identified need among health educators to develop both pedagogical and technological skills related to XR based teaching methods. Although XR technologies offer significant potential for simulation based learning, clinical skills training, and safe learning environments, their use in health education remains limited due to insufficient competence and technical challenges.

The XR ope project provides educators with training on how to use XR technologies in a pedagogically meaningful way and supports them in independently creating their own XR based learning materials without external technical assistance. Project activities include mapping competence needs, organizing training sessions and workshops, producing XR learning materials, and piloting these materials in teaching contexts.

A key objective of the project is to lower the threshold for adopting XR devices and applications and to integrate XR into courses, and everyday teaching practices. In addition, the project establishes a permanent XR network to support collaboration and knowledge sharing beyond the project’s duration.

The target group consists of health educators at different educational levels in Southwest Finland, including vocational education, universities of applied sciences, universities, and clinical professionals involved in education. The project contributes to improving the quality of education, strengthening links with working life, and promoting the pedagogically sustainable use of digital learning environments.

Events

Save the Date:

The first XR technology training webinar will be held online on August 31, 2026, from 2:00–3:30 PM. The registration link will be published on this website at a later date.