PURPAN School of Engineering with Audrenne Canal

At the PURPAN School of Engineering, educational innovation is an integral part of the teaching strategy. Building on its strong roots in the agricultural, agri-food and environmental sectors, the school is actively exploring the possibilities offered by immersive technologies to enhance the learning experience.At the heart of this initiative is Audrenne Canal, an educational engineer engaged in applied research. She coordinates several projects combining XR, virtual reality and educational engineering – notably reviVRe and Digital for Soft Skills – with a clear objective: to measure the real impact of these tools on learners’ motivation and retention.

What interests me isn’t the wow factor, but the real educational value of technology.

PAudrenne Canal operates in a demanding environment where teaching practices are evolving rapidly. Its approach centres on a key principle: learning cannot be imposed; it must be built. And for this, student motivation and autonomy are essential. It draws on key events such as Laval Virtual to inform its research, particularly regarding the uses of XR, holography and generative AI. But it is on the ground, in the classrooms and WiDiD modules, that its conviction is reinforced: immersion transforms the learner’s engagement.

Virtual reality allows you to practise, experience and correct. It engages the emotions and therefore the memory.

As part of the reviVRe project, Audrenne Canal used the WiDiD modules to observe the impact of immersive repetition on the learning of technical skills. What particularly struck her was the wealth of educational data available.

This information enables students to:

• Track their progress
• Identify their strengths and weaknesses
• Gaining a better understanding of their own learning style

Audrenne sees this as a tool for developing metacognitive skills, in line with the theory of the four stages of competence (unconscious incompetence > conscious incompetence > conscious competence > unconscious competence).

Of the 246 students who took part in the WiDiD immersive modules, only five reported difficulties adapting to the transition between the real and virtual worlds. For Audrenne, this variety of responses highlights the importance of:

• Personalised support
• A human touch in the use of technology
• Tailoring tools to learners’ profiles

These findings were the subject of a paper co-authored by Audrenne: “Implicit Learning of Professional Skills through Immersive Virtual Reality: A Media Comparison Study”, which confirms the positive impact of VR on motivation and engagement.

For Audrenne Canal, immersive tools – such as virtual reality – are not just gadgets. They are powerful tools… provided they are used properly.

She advocates for a responsible, personalised approach to technology education that is grounded in cognitive realities. And she sees XR as a means to:

• Stimulate curiosity
• Offer rehearsals without any pressure
• Balancing emotional engagement and cognitive efficiency