Wittenborg Joins Erasmus+ XR Training in Spain

27.05.2026

XR Training and Collaboration Take Centre Stage in Erasmus+ Tourism Education Project

Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences took part in the second transnational meeting of the Erasmus+ TourXpeRience project, held at CETEM in Yecla, Spain, where 35 experts from 21 organisations across nine countries met to work on new ways of using Extended Reality in tourism education.

Assistant Professor of Applied Sciences Vajihe Shojaei, Lecturer Emmah Muchoki and Erasmus+ Project Coordinator Jian Liu attended the two-day meeting on behalf of Wittenborg. They joined training sessions, workshops and partner discussions on how immersive technologies can be used in teaching and learning.

The meeting focused on how Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality can be used in vocational education and training. Partners tested VR tools using devices such as Meta Quest headsets and discussed how these can support more practical and engaging learning for tourism students.

Liu explained that the project is now moving from planning into development and testing:

“The sessions helped us align the work across different parts of the project, especially the learning design, mobility planning and stakeholder engagement. The training also gave us a clear framework to move forward together.”

He added that the XR learning tools are now being designed for real use in classrooms:

“The AR, VR and MR exercises we are developing are made to be used directly in vocational education. The focus is on making them practical, easy to use and focused on student learning in real teaching environments.”

Shojaei highlighted the value of working face to face with partners and experiencing the training first-hand:

“It was very useful to meet partners in person and strengthen collaboration. One of the most interesting parts was trying the VR simulations ourselves and experiencing how students will learn through these tools.”

She also pointed to the importance of the visit beyond the formal sessions:

“The San Isidro festival and the visit to the monument dedicated to Azorín were real highlights. They created memorable moments outside the meeting room and gave a strong cultural experience of Yecla.”

Looking ahead, Shojaei explained the next clear step for the project:

“The next step is teacher training in the Netherlands. We will run sessions on VR technology and scenario design, and prepare teachers to use these tools in their own classrooms. We aim to train at least 15 teachers in the next phase.”

The TourXpeRience project will now continue developing XR learning materials and preparing for testing and training activities in partner countries.

Alongside the project work, the Wittenborg team also shared updates on the Wittenborg Globalisation Forum, which supports international dialogue and collaboration in higher education.