Bradford College’s Success with Metaverse Learning’s Early Years Scenarios

Bradford College’s Community Learning team has successfully piloted Metaverse Learning’s immersive Early Yearsscenarios, developed in partnership with the Early Years Alliance. Delivered to introductory and Level 1 students preparing for careers in childcare and education, the pilot showed significant improvements in knowledge retention, learner engagement, and workplace understanding, particularly in health and safety training.

The college sought to give students on prep-to-work courses meaningful workplace exposure. Traditional classroom teaching was limited in its ability to replicate real-life early years settings, especially for those who had not yet progressed to placement-based learning.

Craig Clarkson, Academic Tutor at Bradford College Adult Skills, explained: "The subjects that I teach and the level of the subjects that I teach don't actually have a placement involved in them, so it's an absolutely brilliant way of introducing setting-specific work to students before they actually go into placement."

The college implemented Metaverse Learning's Early Years package across multiple delivery methods:

• Individual laptop-based learning

• Tablet-based sessions

• Collaborative large-screen activities

• VR headset experiences

The technology was fully embedded into the curriculum rather than used as a standalone activity, covering key areas including:

• Health and safety in early years settings

• Behaviour management scenarios

• Food hygiene protocols

• Professional environment exploration

The success of the program lay in its thorough integration into existing teaching plans. Seima Mahmood, Curriculum Team Leader noted: "I think because Craig has embedded it in the curriculum, and that really helped with the students learning. It's not like a one-off, kind of fun activity - it's absolutely a thorough curriculum activity."

The team also adapted the technology to suit different learning styles and levels of digital confidence, ensuring accessibility across diverse student groups.

Feedback from students included:

• Feeling genuinely immersed in realistic early years environments

• Enhanced ability to retain and apply what they've learnt

• Increased confidence for their future roles

The Bradford College pilot demonstrates the transformative impact of immersive learning when strategically embedded into curriculum delivery. Rather than serving as a novelty, the program became a core teaching tool, delivering measurable gains in learning outcomes, building confidence, and strengthening professional readiness.