Proposed Design of an Immersive Simulation: Virtual Reality and Mathematical Modeling

Mathematical modeling is recognized as a cornerstone of contemporary mathematics education because it enables students to connect real-world phenomena with mathematical formulations and solutions. However, its implementation in school settings poses significant didactic and logistical challenges. In parallel, Virtual Reality (VR) has emerged as an educational technology capable of generating immersive, contextualized experiences, although its application to mathematical modeling processes remains nascent. This article presents the technical and pedagogical aspects of designing an immersive educational simulation in VR, with the goal of exploring how such an environment influences the mathematical modeling process in secondary education students. The article examines its pedagogical and technical foundations and its potential to enrich the learning of mathematical modeling through immersive environments. The experience, titled “Painting a Room,” poses a contextualized task in which students must manage a budget to paint a room. The design aligns with the phases of a mathematical modeling cycle and is structured according to the stages of the Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM). The simulation is currently under development. As results, we present characteristic features of the simulation’s design and main flow, and how these relate to a mathematical modeling process; moreover, we operationalize the phases of the modeling process within this immersive experience. We highlight the relevance of the technology for enabling the validation of students’ mathematical models.