See the World with Cardboard Google Expeditions

Cardboard google expeditions take students to virtual trips to Mount Everest, New York, the International space station, inside the human body, in the ocean with sharks, to museums, iconic streets and more.

Give your students an Aha moment, when they can really connect to the learning object. With Google VR expeditions one can virtually see the world with just a smart phone (which almost everyone has these days) and Google cardboard viewer (that costs anywhere between $5 to $40).

Google Expeditions APP has a collection of virtual reality (VR) content that lets you take your students to a place the school bus can?t; and we are not talking videos or images here, its VR! Students can enter the place by putting on a Cardboard, and see a 360-degree view of the place you choose to take them to.

How teachers can use Google VR expeditions in class

Teachers can literally bring their lessons to life! They can take students for a dive in the ocean, or on a climb on a mountain.

To conduct such a class, one needs a Google expeditions kit, which basically contains Google VR boxes or cardboard viewers and smartphones for students, a wifi dongle, and a tablet for a teacher.

Take the following steps to guide your students on journey into virtual reality:

• Download Google Expeditions app on all the phones and the teacher?s tablet (internet required)

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• Connect the student phones and teacher tablet to the wifi (no internet required)
• Teacher selects the ?Lead? option upon launching the APP to be able to Guide students along the expedition

• Students select the ?Follow? option on the APP to be an explorer and Join an expedition started by their ‘Guide’

• Since all the devices are on the same wifi network, they automatically connect, i.e. the expedition that the teacher chooses as a ?Guide? on the tablet will be displayed to all the students, aka ?Explorers?, on their phones set in the VR Cardboard viewers
• Teacher can choose from over 200 Expeditions and download a google expedition lesson in the app (these can supplement the curriculum)

• Teacher starts the expedition, which is a set of curated VR imagery, and students can see the same on their screens
• Teacher can point out objects from the scenes, and students are directed by an arrow towards that object.

Students’ view

• Teacher can read out the descriptions, talking points and questions about the learning objects to the students
• Teacher can also change the scene, and take students to another setting

Similarly, more places, environments, etc .can be downloaded to take your students into surreal lessons that engage them, excite them, and leave an imprint on their memory, making learning more effective.

Check out the teacher’s?guide to Google expedition lesson plans.

Watch the Google Expedition’s intro video:

(Google Expeditions for the UK: Take your students around the world in VR)

Teachers in the UK can also sign up with the Google Expeditions Pioneer programme to invite the Pioneer team for a trial with Google expeditions kits for their classes. They even guide teachers to set up the equipment and lessons before the class.

Google expeditions APP?s content?

Art and culture:?Discover art, music, culture, religion and places of faith from places around the globe. Visit the life and works of Van Gogh, pilgrimage to Westminster Abbey, and beat Ebola in Sierra Leone.

Science:?Explore the inside of the human body, revisit evolution, visit CERN, witness hydrogen burning and more.

Environment:?Discover environments like the North Pole, the great Barrier Reef, an Arctic Glacier, and Iceland.

History:?Witness incredible events like the 1066 Battle of Hastings, World War II, America Expands West, Great depression, Vietnam War and era of dinosaurs.

Monuments:?Visit the seven new wonders of the world, Greece, American landmarks, Egypt, Petra, Machu Picchu, Roman ruins and more.

Museums:?Visit the famous space station museum, Charles Dickens museum, American museum of natural history, National museum of Korea, etc.

Reach Higher:?There is also a collection of university campuses and career expeditions?airline pilot, chef, forest ranger, etc.?that lets you take your students on very interesting career-related trips.

More google expedition lessons are available on this link to download for free.

It comprises of VR lessons on the skeletal system, digestive system, pyramids, volcanoes, Great Wall of China and more.

For queries and support on setting up and conducting Google expeditions visit this page.

Use this information and go an expedition today! Leave a comment if you want to know more about the APP, cardboard viewers, or any other related topic.

Be Safe, EdTech lovers: Do not use the Google expeditions APP while driving, walking, or otherwise by being distracted or disoriented from real world situations that prevent you from obeying traffic or safety laws. (Text from the Google expeditions App?s page.)

Google Expeditions News

One good news is that Google is coming up with Google expeditions AR in the fall of 2017. This Google for education tool will let teachers enhance the classroom lessons with just smart phones, by providing virtual 3D objects and information which students can see and walk around in the classroom. It will make concepts more real and easy to understand and relate to. Watch the Google expeditions AR video here.

For developers and manufacturers

1. How manufacturers can make Goolgle VR boxes

Now, manufacturers from all over the world can equip schools and classrooms with VR cardboard viewers using the open source template, best practices, profile generator and branding provided by Google for manufacturers.

Making Google cardboard viewers is easy, and the cost of producing a VR cardboard viewer is very little. It is also an easy product to market considering the popularity of this platform among educators and learners, ticking all the variables that make a successful product.

2. Produce Google expeditions content

If you are interested in partnering with Google to showcase Google Expeditions in one of your upcoming events, or want to create an Expedition of a museum, a landmark or other neat places, then fill and submit this form with Google and get started.

Have fun with this amazing google for education tool, fellow explorers and EdTech lovers, and stay tuned for more such reviews and user guides on learning and teaching resources.