(Year 2026)

UB Virtual Teaching and Learning Research Group | Layers of Reality

Immersive reality is transforming the way people interact with information and access knowledge. But what real impact do these experiences have on learning?

This is one of the key questions behind the collaboration between the University of Barcelona (UB) and Layers of Reality within the framework of the Journey to the Center of the Earth project, an initiative inspired by the universe of Jules Verne that explores the educational potential of immersive environments and the metaverse when applied to learning.

The collaboration emerged through the mediation of the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation (FBG), the UB’s Knowledge Transfer Office (KTO), which facilitated contact between the company and the Virtual Teaching and Learning Research Group, led by Dr Cristina Galván from the Faculty of Education at the University of Barcelona.

Based on shared interests in the use of immersive technologies in education, a project was launched to analyse the educational impact of an experience that had originally been developed for the general public.

The study focused on an educational initiative linked to the Jules Verne 200 project, an immersive experience created by Layers of Reality and inspired by the French writer’s universe. In this context, the UB team participated in defining the pedagogical framework, designing the evaluation instruments, and analysing the results of a metaverse environment aimed at 5th- and 6th-grade primary school students.

The research made it possible to scientifically validate the educational impact of the experience and identify the factors that promote learning in immersive environments. The results show that these technologies can increase motivation, participation and collaborative learning among students. As Dr Cristina Galván highlights, “immersive reality can be a very powerful tool for fostering learning”.

For Layers of Reality, the collaboration represented an opportunity to incorporate scientific knowledge and pedagogical criteria into the evaluation of its immersive experiences. For the University of Barcelona, the project provided an opportunity to apply research findings in a real-world setting and generate new knowledge in an emerging field with significant development potential.

“It has been a highly enriching experience, both from a research and a knowledge transfer perspective. These kinds of projects make it possible to generate applied knowledge with real impact and build bridges between research and society,” explains Galván.

This project is an example of how collaboration between universities and companies can accelerate innovation and contribute to the development of new solutions with social impact. Through knowledge transfer, the University of Barcelona places its expertise at the service of organisations, while companies provide real-world environments in which research results can be validated and applied, generating shared value for society.