How does this help open up Environmental Science?

  • makes environments accessible to those variety of personal or social or socio-economic challenges
  • offers accessibility through variety of platforms (phones, tablets, pc's etc).
  • virtual exploration of remote locations (but could be used in urban environments to explore local geographies)
  • offers platform for variety of levels of information which can be targeted to different user groups
  • used in a room or on devices in real time to prompt discussion or active learning through visual features linked to reading
  • does not present challenge to users who my get disorientated by VR headsets (reduced cost is also added benefit)
  • growing number of these virtual platforms used in visualisation capacities
  • capacity to be used as a teaching aid (pre-trip orientation, post-trip reflective resource)
  • ease to update or configure for different audiences

 

Are there any barriers to the learners?

  • Devices/technology available
  • Assumption of capacity to view/use screen-based platform
  • content requirements
  • Providers limits on content (e.g. Licence limits to sphere numbers, YouTube features, data or soundscape etc.)
  • Limited interactivity (eg. can't make measurements in the sphere etc so visual/descriptive only)
  • Technology is image spheres only when more interactive 3D platforms available / in development.
  • Tour is limited to the producers' viewpoint or purpose
  • Issue of changing access as popularity/license costs/functionality controlled by 3rd party (ie. Risk if Roundme went bankrupt or bought out by or suspended operation as Google VR did)

 

Examples:
https://roundme.com/tour/642849/view/2031743/
https://www.rgs.org/schools/teacher-grants/innovative-teaching-geography-grants/
https://www.ptieducation.org/event/a0s6900000NCgVNAA1
https://eisteddfod.cymru/amgen-2021-mercher-gwyddoniaeth-taith
https://roundme.com/tour/622432/view/1973522/
https://roundme.com/tour/617423/view/1959181/