Creating and Sharing VR with Google

Instructional goal:  

At the end of this workshop, participants will have shared a virtual tour that they create using Google Tour Creator. The tour will consist of scenes that participants capture with Google Cardboard Camera using their smartphone. Participants will share their tours using Google Expeditions to view using a Cardboard and a smartphone. Participants will be able to take home a set of detailed instructions to transfer and apply what they have learned.

Activities include: 

• Take and share VR pictures using a smartphone and the Carboard Camera app
• Create stereo images of VR images using a laptop computer and Google converter
• Create and share a Google Tour that contains at least two scenes
• View tours using Google Cardboard and Expeditions app with smartphone

Estimated time allotment: 

• 15-minutes: Introduction to Google tools (Cardboard, Cardboard Camera, Tour Creator, and Chrome)
• 20-minutes: Take VR pictures
• 40-minutes: To create and share a Google Tour
• 20-minutes: Share experiences and discuss challenges and opportunities 
   

Engaging WS experience:

Educators and instructional designers from all educational levels and in any modality (hybrid, online, of f2f) can benefit from this workshop. Our responsibility as educators, instructional designers, and decision makers is to better understand the tools and technologies, their pros and cons, challenges and issues, before we embark into full integration of VR into the teaching-learning strategies. Inasmuch as VR is today seen as innovative technology to engage students with immersive learning, creating or purchasing highly VR immersive experiences can be expensive.  A good start is for educators and students to first use/test themselves free/inexpensive and readily available tools and low level 360 VR technologies. This experience can lead to excitement and open possibilities for the use of more advanced and sophisticated VR technologies. Participants will easily produce 360 VR content, they will also realize and troubleshoot, if need be, challenges that can arise with BYOD activities that are easier said than done. 

Materials needed:

Participants will need to be prepared before session and have readily available the following:

• A computer with Google Chrome browser 
• A smartphone suitable for VR. Most Android or iOS phones with screen sizes from 4 to 6 inches will work. For an Android phone, the phone’s version should be 4.1 or higher.
• Following apps installed on smartphone
  • Google Cardboard
  • Google Cardboard Camera
  • Google Expeditions
  • Gmail 
• Gmail account
• Optional  - VR headset.  For a complete immersive VR experience, a VR headset like Google Carboard is needed (from $8 to $15).  If no VR headset is available, 360 images can also be viewed with computer or phone.   However, participants are highly encouraged to bring a VR headset to the workshop!