Inspiring awe in high school teachers: Design and preliminary test of a virtual training on AltspaceVR

The emotion of awe, arising when the human being confronts himself with something vast, able to overwhelm current mental structures and to turn into a potentially transformative experience, has been recently introduced into the learning domain as a driver of knowledge-seeking behavior as well as an authentic trigger of interest towards science. However, to date, an awe-inspiring training for workers into the domain of science – specifically of STEM or STEAM – has not been designed and tested yet. In this study, we implemented recent scientific evidence concerning how to elicit intense instances of awe into an awe-inspiring training delivered through a social virtual reality (VR) platform-AltspaceVR. High-school teachers attended this novel awe-inducing training consisting of an autobiographical recall of awe as well as the exposure to awe-inspiring virtual environments (VREs). Their level of awe, presence, and affect were measured before and at the end of the training. Moreover, at the end of the experience, participants were involved in a focus group on the overall experience. Participants reported a profound sense of awe along with other related emotions, as well as a continuous sense of presence in the VRE. In conclusion, this training could pave the way for a multitude of applications, enhancing the individual involvement towards science and technology at any age.