A 360-degree learning resource is an immersive, interactive experience that lets users to explore real-world spaces in a panoramic view. These resources are excellent for preparing students for real-world environments before they need to encounter them, and for enhancing experiential learning. The CHSS Digital Learning Service (DLS) team has developed several 360 resources, including one featured in the GPS case study Interactive 360 L&T spaces project. If you’re considering creating a similar resource for your teaching area, this post will guide you through five key points to think about before you contact the CHSS DLS team. Note that if you would like a virtual tour for student recruitment this should go through marketing.
1. You need a clear goal
You need to be clear on what it is you want to achieve. Ask yourself:
- Who is this resource for? e.g. All students? Some students? Staff?
- What is it supposed to achieve? e.g. Orienting new students, demonstrating equipment, showcasing workflows, an assessment resource?
- What would you like to show to the audience and how will they interact with it? e.g. A radiology department tour showing links to any health and safety considerations, and videos of related procedures.
In the Interactive 360 L&T spaces project the team wanted to create “online video tours of the main teaching laboratories in SOAS so that the students can become familiar in advance of the sessions, enabling them to have a more positive experience.” Their plan was for the interactive experiences (360 images with hotspots) to be easily accessible online, through links on blackboard and posters containing QR codes, allowing easy and unlimited access.
Often on a project there is a tendency for scope creep (when requirements for a project grow beyond the initial plans) to happen and it is important to define what the first phase of development will look like. Ultimately what does success look like for this project?
2. You need your team to support this goal
Not only do you need a clear goal, but it’s also essential to ensure that all team members involved in the project agree on this goal. Without alignment, scope creep (where project requirements grow beyond the initial plan) becomes more likely. You could consider holding brainstorming sessions or sharing preliminary visuals between the team. Once you begin conversations with the CHSS DLS team they will help you refine your goal and the project, possibly putting requirements into phases with deadlines. However, being clear on what your team would like to happen first is essential.
3. You need to be clear on level of work required
There is no magic button that creates a 360 resource. It requires collaborative working between the academic team and the CHSS DLS team. While the CHSS DLS will help with development, the academic team, and in particular the subject specialist, will remain responsible for writing and checking content, and providing feedback. At the kick off meeting, roles and responsibilities will be agreed, for example who will provide the photos or video clips, who will provide the descriptions, who will do the editing etc.? Ideally the academic team will also play a significant role in feeding back on development work, collecting feedback from students and maintaining the resources going forward. The developed are likely to be delivered in Xerte, or an equivalent tool. Understanding basic editing in Xerte is going to be an important digital skill for the team. There will be a need to attend certain key meetings and to continue a dialogue with the developers. This will be your resource, the CHSS DLS will merely help you to realise it.
4. You need to consider timelines
Workload naturally impacts on timelines, and vice versa. Creating a 360 resource takes a significant amount of time to develop depending on the requirement. There is also likely to be an impact on development time related to the academic year. For example, if you would like rooms to be filmed as they are normally set up and with students in then you will need to create the resource during term time. If however, you’d like empty rooms with a particular set up then this is likely to only be possibly during a holiday period. Room access and scheduling, along with staff availability has a big impact on how long a project will take. Both academic and professional services staff experience busy and quieter periods throughout the year. For the CHSS DLS the start of the year is a busy time for us setting up resources such as PebblePad workspaces. One possible approach is to work back from the required time of delivery and consider how long particular activities will take bearing in mind other commitments.
5. It pays to do your groundwork
Just like any other project the effort you put in at the start of pays off in the end. Some of the pre-work activities you may want to consider are:
- Researching similar resources
- Consulting with stakeholders
- Revisiting any existing module feedback to see how the resource could support school or College objectives, or feedback from UWE Programmes
- Running an in-team brainstorming session to agree the goal
- Trying out Xerte
- Identifying key metrics that it may be useful to evaluate
Conclusion
Creating a 360 learning resource can be a scalable way to enhance experiential learning. These resources are cost-effective to develop and require relatively low levels of support. They do however require careful planning and collaboration. By considering the five key points outlined in this post, and working closely with the CHSS Digital Learning Service team, you’ll be well-equipped to bring your vision to life.