University of Dar es Salaam develops virtual reality labs to enhance science subjects

This is made possible because the device is loaded with the content of various experiments based on the respective subject, displaying realistic laboratory environments when the user engages with it.

A laboratory engineer at the university’s faculty of Information Technology, Mr Adriano Kamoye, said the innovation has been developed to assist science students who lack labs and teachers at their schools.

It also aims to reduce costs associated with purchasing necessary chemicals for experiments, which can sometimes be challenging.

“When VR is used, it helps the person perform a task as if they were in the real environment. Within this device, we have fitted in the types of experiments required by students. Sometimes these experiments include specific instructions on what needs to be done to complete their experiment,” he said.

He further explained that through the technology, students can learn independently by following the embedded instructions without the need for a teacher, feeling as if they were in a real laboratory.

They can handle various laboratory tools, mix chemicals, and obtain the results of their experiments.

“This can help schools lacking laboratories, equipment, or lab professionals because all the instructions are embedded for self-learning,” he said.

These devices, currently being imported but undergoing local improvements, are aligned with intended goals, including potential use in national examinations.

“This will help eliminate alternative exam arrangements for students who lack labs in their schools. One device can be used by one student at a time but can serve many people in one day depending on the schedule of the respective subject.”

The development comes at a time when statistics from Best Education 2020, released by the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government), show that by that year, Tanzania needed an additional 5,680 labs to meet the actual demand of 11,784.

This indicates that to meet the demands of current government secondary schools, there was a need for 3,930 biology labs, 3,927 chemistry labs, and 3,927 physics labs.

However, as of 2019, there were only a total of 2,056 biology labs, 2,196 chemistry labs, and a meager 1,852 physics labs available.

The Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (Costech) Director General, Amos Nungu, mentioned that a similar idea had already received funding, and they were continuing to support various innovators to ensure they succeeded.

“We are supporting them because some struggle to get their ideas understood, so we ensure they move towards implementation stages. Something like this is beneficial because it will help those schools lacking laboratories,” he said.