Impact of virtual reality on promoting understanding of research in rural Africa: The KEMRI-Wellcome Trust virtual tour of research laboratories

Background: Virtual Reality (VR) is poised to transform how science is communicated to the public. There is limited evidence of the use of VR for science education or engagement in sub-Saharan Africa. We produced a virtual reality video tour of the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP) laboratories and tested its suitability as an engagement tool for secondary school students. Methods A group of 14 students from various secondary schools, but residents of Kilifi County, situated on the coast of Kenya, were invited for a guided tour of KWTRP laboratories. After that, they were split into three groups to discuss their understanding of the tour and what was relatable to what they were learning in school. The discussion informed the script of a 360 degree video of the KWTRP laboratories. The video was uploaded to the VR headsets and shown to select students (n=59) from three secondary schools in Kilifi County. We administered pre and post survey questionnaires to assess the impact of the virtual tour of the research laboratories. Results Most students reported having never watched videos on laboratory or research before, with few having ever used a virtual reality (VR) headset. After watching the virtual reality video of the laboratory, most students indicated that they found the VR experience good and agreed that it made them feel like they were touring the laboratory in person. They also indicated that they had an increased interest in working in a research laboratory. We observed significant gains in knowledge related to KWTRP among the students after watching the VR video. Conclusions Enabling the public to understand how research is conducted is important for garnering community confidence and scientific support. The virtual reality experience of research laboratories offers a promising tool for science engagement in young adults.