VR and ESD in ELT

As part of the BMBF competence network lernen:digital, this sub-project aims to develop research-based teacher training modules on virtual reality (VR) and ESD in ELT.

Project management: Prof. Dr. Theresa Summer

Research assistants: Michelle Zirkel and Claudia Schnellbögl

Student assistant: Michelle Zeitler and Anna Helmerich

Subprojects

Foreign language teaching (University of Bremen: Prof. Dr. Andreas Grünewald & Leona Droste, University of Würzburg Prof. Dr. Maria Eisenmann & Jeanine Steinbock)
Evaluation team
digi4all

Software company

AR2VR

Duration: 06/2023–12/2025

Funding: European Union (NextGenerationEU), BMBF

Competence network:

lernen:digital

DiSo-SGW

Dr. Martina Bredenbröcker (ALP Dillingen)

Martin Fritze (Head of English at Abensberg secondary school)

Prof. Dr. Regina Kaplan-Rakowski (University of North Texas)

Dr. Ricardo Römhild: (Post-Doc, University of Münster)

Melissa Schneider (ALP Dillingen)

Dr. Jennifer Wengler (Universität Hannover)

Target group: English teachers from all types of schools (secondary I, secondary II, vocational schools)

Format: Blended learning (1 kick-off online, 2 in-person sessions in Bamberg)

Start: September 2024

Further information can be found here and in the flyer(246.6 KB, 1 page)

A variety of publications, presentations, workshops and school visits.

See below for details.

Insights

Project team of English Language Education in Bamberg (from left to right: Michelle Zirkel, Theresa Summer, Claudia Schnellbögl)

Meeting with critical friends at the University of Bamber on 19 June 2024 (from left to right: Claudia Schnellbögl, Michelle Zirkel, Martin Fritze, Melissa Schneider, Martina Bredenbröcker, Theresa Summer)

Kick-off of the DiSo-SGW project at the University of Bamberg from 25 - 26 October 2023 (from left to right: Maria Eisenmann, Andreas Grünewald, Leona Droste, Claudia Schnellbögl, Theresa Summer)

Teacher trainings on virtual reality and education for sustainable development

Michelle Zirkel in a one-on-one interview during a teacher training course

VR-Workshop at the Casimirianum Gymnasium Coburg (from left to right: Michelle Zirkel, Heidi Schmitt, Theresa Summer, Claudia Schnellbögl)

VR-Workshop in the SprachenLLab with the Franz-Ludwig-Gymnasium in Bamberg (from left to right: Claudia Schnellbögl, Cordula Schwarzl, the four students of the seminar, Theresa Summer)

During the VR workshop in the SprachenLLab with the Franz-Ludwig-Gymnasium in Bamberg, the students immerse themselves in a VR world created by the student using the AR2VR app.

School visit at the Realschule Großostheim (from left to right: Theresa Summer, Claudia Schnellbögl, Michelle Zirkel)

VR-Workshop at the Realschule Großostheim

VR-Workshop at the Mittelschule Stegaurach (from left to right: Michelle Zirkel, Franziska Hahn, Theresa Summer, Claudia Schnellbögl)

The project team on the way to the VR workshop at Stegaurach secondary school (from left: Michelle Zirkel, Claudia Schnellbögl)

Presentation of the project at the CALICO conference in San Diego & meeting with Critical Friend Regina Kaplan-Rakowski on 29 May 2025 (from left: Theresa Summer, Regina Kaplan-Rakowski, Michelle Zirkel, Claudia Schnellbögl)

Publications & presentations

Summer, T. (2025). Man kann nur schätzen, was man kennt: Wie Virtuelle Realität im Englischunterricht für Nachhaltigkeit sensibilisiert. uni.vers Forschung, 34–37. https://www.uni-bamberg.de/fileadmin/kommunikation/045-UNI-PUBLIKATIONEN/uni.vers/2025-forschung/uni.vers_2025_Nachhaltigkeit_Webversion_144_dpi.pdf
Summer, T. & Flämig, R. (2025). Combining Picturebooks with Virtual Reality in the Context of Global Citizenship Education. Children's Literature in English Language Education (CLELE), 13(2), 27–50. https://clelejournal.org/article-2-2/
Schnellbögl, C., Zirkel, M., Bösendörfer, A. & Summer, T. (2025). Foreign Language Teachers' Perspectives on Global Education, Digital Media, and Extended Reality. In Summer, T. & Gießler, R. (Eds.), Digital Textualities and Spaces in ELT (pp. 181–202). Narr Francke Attempto.
Summer, T., Eisenmann, M. & Grünewald, A. (2025). Teacher Training Courses for Integrating AI and VR into Foreign Language Education. In T. Summer & R. Gießler (Eds.), Digital Textualities and Spaces in ELT (pp. 203–222). Narr Francke Attempto.
Zirkel, M., & Summer, T. (2024). Empowering English Language Teachers to Use Immersive Virtual Reality for Global Citizenship Education. WorldCALL 2023: Official Conference Proceedings, 217–224. https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2759-1182.2023.25

Summer, T., Zirkel, M., & Schnellbögl, C. (2025, May 27–31). Implementing Immersive Virtual Reality in Foreign Language Education: Evidence from a Teacher Training Course in the Context of Global and Digital Citizenship Education [Conference presentation]. CALICO 2025, San Diego, U.S.
Summer, T., Zirkel, M., & Schnellbögl, C. (2025, March 24–26). Crossing Boundaries in ESD: Critical Perspectives on Virtual Reality Apps [Conference presentation]. Language Education for Sustainable Development, Münster.
Summer, T., Zirkel, M., & Schnellbögl, C. (2025, February 3). BNE und iVR im Englischunterricht. Die Welt neu sehen: Austausch zum Themengebiet VR/AR in der Bildung [Presentation]. Netzwerktreffen VR/AR des Kompetenzbundes lernen:digital.
Summer, T., & Ballis, A. (2024, October 1). Symposium: Digitale Souveränität und immersive virtuelle Realität im Sprachenunterricht – Vortrag zu BNE und iVR im Fremdsprachenunterricht [Presentation]. Transfertagung lernen:digital, Potsdam, 01.10.2024.
Summer, T. (2024, June 27). Teilnahme am lernen:digital Community Call [Community Call]. Digital souverän: Wie können Schüler:innen für eine digitale Lebens- und Arbeitswelt befähigt werden?
Zirkel, M. (2024, May 29–31). The Potential of Immersive Virtual Reality for Teaching the SDGs in the Context of English Language Education [Conference presentation]. eLearning Africa 17th International Conference & Exhibition on Digital Education, Training & Skills Development, Kigali, Rwanda.
Zirkel, M., & Summer, T. (2024, January 30). Projekt DiSo-SGW: VR Fortbildungen für Englischlehrkräfte. Das Potenzial von immersiver Realität für den Fremdsprachenunterricht und BNE [Presentation]. “Digitale Schule der Zukunft” – 5. Teffen der Gymnasien in Oberfranken, Coburg.
Zirkel, M. (2024, January 17). The potential of immersive virtual reality for English language classrooms [Guest lecture]. Ludwigs-Maximilians-Universität München.
Summer, T., & Zirkel, M. (2023, November 9–13). Virtual reality and global learning in English language education: Innovations for English teacher education [Conference presentation]. WorldCALL Conference, Chiang Mai, Thailand.