VR Cooking: Learning By Doing In VR For Students

Today’s youths grow up surrounded by technology, with smartphones, tablets, and immersive media around every corner. In this environment, many students struggle with traditional classroom-based learning. Virtual reality (VR) provides a compelling alternative, with hands-on modules that promote learning by doing.

In the realm of culinary education, VR training can be a valuable asset. With VR, culinary students can learn all sorts of basic and advanced cooking techniques without worrying about food costs or kitchen disasters. They may not get to taste the virtual “food” they prepare in these modules, but they can develop their skills in a low-risk, high-reward learning environment.

Why Is VR Training Effective for Culinary Education?

Here at Sliced Bread Animation, we specialise in creating highly immersive VR training experiences that drive behaviour change through learning. Our collaboration with Vancouver Community College (VCC) is a great example of how VR can revolutionise culinary education.

With VCC, we created a VR module allowing students to practise kitchen safety and food preparation techniques on five entry-level recipes in a simulated environment, removing the risk factors typically associated with these tasks. This approach helps students learn new skills while improving their confidence and information retention.

Research backs up the notion that VR enhances learner engagement and retention for practical, hands-on subject matter. According to a 2024 meta-analysis in the International Journal of STEM Education, VR training for practical skills generated “a significant moderate positive effect.” The journal also noted that combining hands-on VR skills development courses with traditional classroom methods is the most effective learning method among all instructional approaches studied.

Looking for another big advantage of VR cooking training? Due to their repeatable nature, VR modules can save you a tremendous amount of time, hassle, and money compared to traditional hands-on kitchen modules. While traditional learning involves expensive kitchen equipment and ingredients, VR modules replicate these elements in a risk-free way.

Of course, a VR module might cost more upfront, but you can reuse it over and over for years to come without investing another quid. On the other hand, real-world culinary training has many repeated costs, from maintenance and repairs for kitchen appliances to buying food for use in recipes.

How Immersive Experiences Engage Young Learners

VR transforms abstract concepts into tangible experiences for learners. VR cooking modules help students learn their way around a kitchen with an interactive approach that caters to various learning styles and keeps students focused.

Sliced Bread Animation’s VR training modules include gamification elements that maintain learners’ interest and motivation. By incorporating challenges, rewards, and feedback, students actively improve their skills as they progress through the module. This method reflects the broader principles of experiential learning, in which learners build knowledge through hands-on experience and thoughtful reflection.

Driving Behaviour Change Through VR Learning Modules

A significant advantage of VR training is how it facilitates behaviour change through learning. When you immerse learners in realistic scenarios, they can practise their decision-making and problem-solving skills in a controlled environment. This experiential learning approach paves the way to better knowledge application in real-world situations.

Take our project with VCC as an example. In this module, students reported increased confidence in their culinary skills and a greater understanding of (and appreciation for) specific techniques in the kitchen. By simulating culinary environments, learners can make mistakes without the fear of real-world consequences, helping them learn more effectively.

The Future of Culinary Education

As the technology driving VR continues to improve and evolve, integrating VR into education will likely become even more commonplace. For culinary training, this could mean more accessible, engaging, and effective learning modules for students of all backgrounds. When educational institutions embrace VR training, they help provide learners with the necessary tools for culinary success.

Sliced Bread Animation is committed to developing innovative, interactive VR solutions that improve educational outcomes and encourage behaviour change through learning. Our expertise in crafting immersive VR experiences keeps learners engaged and equips them with the skills and confidence they need to excel in the culinary world.

For more information on our VR training projects and how we can help students practise learning by doing, contact Sliced Bread Animation today. We can help transform your educational programmes into attention-grabbing modules that both enrich and entertain.