This article presents the development and functional evaluation of TOLUCATRAIN VR 1.0, an immersive Open Educational Resource (OER) aimed at technical railway training. The proposal aligns with the open science and education movement, integrating Virtual Reality (VR) technologies as a strategy to democratize access to specialized knowledge in contexts with limited physical infrastructure. The proof of concept (Technology Readiness Level 4 /TRL4) was implemented at two campuses of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional using a mixed-methods approach, including quantitative instruments (System Usability Scale/SUS scale and pre/post knowledge test) and qualitative testimonies. Results indicate high usability, significant improvement in technical learning, and strong user appropriation of the content. Moreover, the open, sovereign, and contextualized nature of the resource stands in contrast to closed commercial models. The study concludes that this type of OER can be scalable and adaptable to other sectors, with recommendations for future steps including longitudinal validation, progressive curricular integration, and enhanced accessibility.
Vicario-solorzano et al. (Thu,) studied this question.