The impact of emerging affordable virtual reality kits like Google Cardboard is undeniable, and the amazing potential for this tool to be used in education is immense. Since I published a previous post about the adventures we’ve been having in our classroom with vr I’ve received a steady stream of people asking what vr apps we use in class. In this post I’ll outline free and easy to use apps that can be utilized with Google Cardboard in the classroom.
1. DIY Photospheres
We have increased the relevance of our learning and had a blast using our own photospheres in many different lessons. To get started making your own photospheres you must access a camera app that has a photosphere option such as Google Camera. Once you have taken the photospheres and saved them to your phone you can then access those photospheres in the Chrome Experiments app and navigate to the far right to find the photospheres option. To switch between the photospheres you may use the magnet slider button on the side.
We have increased the relevance of our learning and had a blast using our own photospheres in many different lessons. To get started making your own photospheres you must access a camera app that has a photosphere option such as Google Camera. Once you have taken the photospheres and saved them to your phone you can then access those photospheres in the Chrome Experiments app and navigate to the far right to find the photospheres option. To switch between the photospheres you may use the magnet slider button on the side.
For more about photospheres you can visit Google Map’s Photo Sphere site. A few quick tips that I’ve found useful when taking photospheres is to start with the least interesting area, so if the photo stitching isn’t exact once you complete the rotation it won’t distract from the focal point. Secondly, try to take photospheres when no one or just a few people are around, spectators can be very distracting to students. Next, make sure your photospheres are GPS tagged if you want to upload them to a site like Google Views which we’ll cover later in this post.
2. Google Maps Street View
Google Maps Street View has torn down the walls of our classroom and made the entire world our learning environment. Recently one of my students was writing a logic branching ebook and needed more info about the Colosseum in Rome. 20 years ago I would have sent him to the library to find a few references, 10 years ago I would have had him Google it to find a few articles and 2D pictures, but now he used our Google Cardboard set to take his own virtual tour inside of the Colosseum- amazing!
After searching for the place you want to visit on Google Maps, swipe down to find out if the “Street View” option is available for that particular place. We’ve found that most places will have a street view. Once in street view you’ll find a double arrow icon in the lower right hand side, and double clicking on those arrows will split the screen into a vr format automatically.
Google Maps Street View has torn down the walls of our classroom and made the entire world our learning environment. Recently one of my students was writing a logic branching ebook and needed more info about the Colosseum in Rome. 20 years ago I would have sent him to the library to find a few references, 10 years ago I would have had him Google it to find a few articles and 2D pictures, but now he used our Google Cardboard set to take his own virtual tour inside of the Colosseum- amazing!
After searching for the place you want to visit on Google Maps, swipe down to find out if the “Street View” option is available for that particular place. We’ve found that most places will have a street view. Once in street view you’ll find a double arrow icon in the lower right hand side, and double clicking on those arrows will split the screen into a vr format automatically.
3. Google Views
Google Views is the direct way to Google Street View with the added option of a homepage that has a curated collection of spectacular photospheres from around the world. You can choose from the highlighted photospheres or search for others. To access this amazing collection of photospheres search for Google Views on your phone web browser and choose a view that has the photosphere icon. Next, swipe down to see the additional information section and click “View on Google Maps”. Once in street view you should be able to follow the same steps outlined above to convert Google Maps street view into a split screen format.
4. VR Cinema
VR Cinema is a simple and effective way to view video using Google Cardboard. Although this app isn’t intended to provide full immersive 360 degree environments like photospheres or virtual reality video like AirPano.com, it’s still like having your own private movie theatre. This app plays videos that are stored on the phone, but hopefully in the future these kind of vr video apps will be also be able to play content directly from video sites like YouTube and possibly even stream live video from the web.
5. EON Experience VR
EON is a surprisingly in depth little app. EON provides a tantalizing preview of how 3D models can be used in virtual reality for learning. The examples include models of robotics, cell structure, anatomy and many others. With apps like EON content areas like science, medicine, math and engineering could be revolutionized in the classroom by providing interactive manipulatives and simulations. Apps like these can very soon allow us to virtually explore faraway solar systems, the ocean floor, inside molecules and much more.
Google Views is the direct way to Google Street View with the added option of a homepage that has a curated collection of spectacular photospheres from around the world. You can choose from the highlighted photospheres or search for others. To access this amazing collection of photospheres search for Google Views on your phone web browser and choose a view that has the photosphere icon. Next, swipe down to see the additional information section and click “View on Google Maps”. Once in street view you should be able to follow the same steps outlined above to convert Google Maps street view into a split screen format.
4. VR Cinema
VR Cinema is a simple and effective way to view video using Google Cardboard. Although this app isn’t intended to provide full immersive 360 degree environments like photospheres or virtual reality video like AirPano.com, it’s still like having your own private movie theatre. This app plays videos that are stored on the phone, but hopefully in the future these kind of vr video apps will be also be able to play content directly from video sites like YouTube and possibly even stream live video from the web.
5. EON Experience VR
EON is a surprisingly in depth little app. EON provides a tantalizing preview of how 3D models can be used in virtual reality for learning. The examples include models of robotics, cell structure, anatomy and many others. With apps like EON content areas like science, medicine, math and engineering could be revolutionized in the classroom by providing interactive manipulatives and simulations. Apps like these can very soon allow us to virtually explore faraway solar systems, the ocean floor, inside molecules and much more.
What does the future hold? Although entertainment apps like games will continue to dominate the vr app market, the potential for educational apps is huge and likely to expand once more students and educators adopt them into their classrooms. The most powerful vr apps yet to be developed and released include an official YouTube virtual reality app or function within the current YouTube app. YouTube is already looking into adding more 360 degree virtual reality video to their collection of online content. Hopefully Google Cultural Institute, which employs the same kind of street view function as Google Maps only inside of world class museums and institutions, will also be updated to include a vr split screen mode too.
As mentioned above, virtual reality video isn’t widely available yet, but with vr video cameras like the 360Cam, which aims to make HD virtual reality video an affordable tool for the masses to use, that may all soon be changing. We stand on the cusp of what virtual reality can offer to education and are now beginning to explore how it can empower learning in so many different ways.
As mentioned above, virtual reality video isn’t widely available yet, but with vr video cameras like the 360Cam, which aims to make HD virtual reality video an affordable tool for the masses to use, that may all soon be changing. We stand on the cusp of what virtual reality can offer to education and are now beginning to explore how it can empower learning in so many different ways.
Wil Codilla is a professional artist, public educator and speaker. @WilCodilla