Google Expeditions' new VR tours for education

Google Expeditions continues to pilot its virtual reality tour kits to schools across America, and has updated its offerings to include new tour options such as Buckingham Palace and the Great Barrier Reef.  "For the Buckingham Palace Expedition, Google released recently, a YouTube 3D video that's accessible to the public...When viewing on a mobile phone, the user can change the point of view of the video fluidly in 360 degrees simply by moving the device around. Settings also allow for stereoscopic 3D for a more immersive experience…” Google says that since launching its pilot programme in September, over 500,000 students have participated in the reality tours made possible by the Google cardboard viewing kits.

Immersive Learning

Google Expeditions Takes Students on VR Tours of Great Barrier Reef, Buckingham Palace

Google has added two new virtual reality tours to its Google Expeditions Pioneer Program, a VR platform designed specifically for classroom use and available free for schools.

The two new programs include tours of Buckingham Palace and the Great Barrier Reef. The GBR program was developed by David Attenborough and Alchemy VR, which provides a 360-degree tour of the reef and the marine life it supports. For the Buckingham Palace Expedition, Google has also released a YouTube 3D video that's accessible to the public (seen below). When viewing on a mobile phone, the user can change the point of view of the video fluidly in 360 degrees simply by moving the device around. Settings also allow for stereoscopic 3D for a more immersive experience.

To date, according to Google, some 500,000 students have participated in virtual journeys since the program's launch in September.

As part of the program, Google is sending teams to schools throughout the world, providing all of the tools needed to participate in expeditions. Google has also released a beta version of the Expeditions app and is seeking educators to test it.

Signups for both the app and the in-person tours are open to educators now on Google's Expeditions site.