RAISE: Raising environmental knowledge & awareness through an innovative virtual environment.

The primary aim was to develop a 3D Virtual World Learning Environment (3D VWLE) that engages students through gamification elements, promotes innovative pedagogies, facilitates digital technology...

The primary aim was to develop a 3D Virtual World Learning Environment (3D VWLE) that engages students through gamification elements, promotes innovative pedagogies, facilitates digital technology use, and ultimately raise the environmental awareness and knowledge of students. Following the project's conclusion, RAISE consortium confirmed the achievement of this goal. We developed a virtual world attracting over 750 students/end-users and 40 teachers, that lead to the overall success of RAISE. Moreover, RAISE 3D VWLE is designed to be expandable, allowing new teachers to integrate it into their curricula or even build upon the existing environment. Additionally, the project aimed to equip teachers with adaptable resources to integrate environmental education into diverse curricula effectively. Strengthening cross-border collaboration among partner institutions was another key goal, promoting knowledge exchange and shared best practices in digital education and sustainability. Ultimately, the RAISE project sought to address the global need for scalable, accessible solutions that combine innovative digital learning methods with real-world applications to empower the next generation of environmentally conscious citizens.

RAISE consortium applied to address the critical need for raising environmental awareness and knowledge (EK&A) of students. Recognising the urgency of the global climate crisis and the role of education, the project aimed to fill a gap in traditional educational approaches by leveraging innovative and interactive tools to engage students into the environment challenges. RAISE, utilising 3D Virtual Worlds integrate digital learning with environmental education. It is a fact that schools often lack engaging digital resources that connect theoretical knowledge with real-world applications, leaving students disconnected from the impact of their actions on the environment. Additionally, teachers required adaptable tools to integrate sustainability topics into diverse curricula effectively. By developing a 3D Virtual World, we aimed to address these needs, creating a platform where students could explore and learn environmental concepts and solutions in an interactive and immersive way. Finally, the project also aimed to strengthen cross-border collaboration among educational institutions, ensuring a shared commitment to sustainability and digital transformation in education.

The primary outcome of the RAISE project is the 3D Virtual World Learning Environment, designed to be accessible, open, and expandable to provide its users the necessary digital port in order to enhance their environmental knowledge and sustainability. To support this, seven Project Results were developed, produced and are publicly available through the EU Results platform and the project website: 1) Deliverable 1: Virtual World Scenarios 2) Deliverable 2: Virtual World Educational Material 3) Deliverable 3: Desktop Research and Result Analysis 4) Deliverable 4: The Learning Enviornment 5) Deliverable 5: The User Manual 6) Deliverable 6: Implementation Report 6) Deliverable 7: System Documentation For further details, all project results, along with supporting documents, can be accessed via the cloud link.