Virtual Reality Guide

How to Lead an Expedition:

• Download the app
• Expeditions includes VR and AR. VR expeditions have a little VR box (cardboard icon) in the top right of each expedition. AR expeditions have a cube in the top right. Only look at the VR expeditions for these modules.
• The two expeditions included in these modules are: "Lifesaving Volunteers to the Rescue" and "Sharks XL Catlin Seaview Survey". Search for these in the "Discover" section of the app and select "download to view or guide". This will download the expedition and move it the "Saved" part of the app.
• View the expedition. There are lesson plans for both expeditions with suggested scripts for grading the language. Each expedition comes with a series of images and accompanying research. Familiarise yourself with the expedition and navigating between images.

In the class:

• Make sure you are all connected to the same wifi. If the wifi is weak, simply plug in a cheap router and have students connect to that AFTER they have downloaded the app (the internet will not be available when they connect to the router).
• Teachers: use an iPad or tablet if possible (it's much easier to have a bigger screen).
• Teachers: Make sure you have the downloaded expedition in your library. Tap on it and select "Guide". A code will pop up. Students: Go to "Class". They should see the code if you are all connected to the same wifi.
• If you have not yet opened the expedition, they will get a message like "hold on, your guide is getting ready". When you open it, they will get a message like "Paused by guide". You need to start the expedition by pressing the play button. Students will get an instruction on their phones to put their phones in the VR viewers. Then they are ready to go.
• Each image comes with research which is divided into an opening and then some paragraphs with subheadings. If you click the small circles next to each paragraph and arrow will appear on the students' phones, directing them to that point on the image. You will see students appearing on your screen with little smiley faces.
• You can also write or draw on the image. There is a squiggle in the top right. Move to an area of the image you want to write on, and tap the squiggle. Students will see what you draw. Click "reset" to remove the writing, and click the squiggle again to stop drawing.
• To navigate between images, simply swipe the white research bars at the bottom of the screen. You will need to press play for each image. You can also scroll around the image on the iPad.

Hardware:

• VR boxes. These are inexpensive and can be purchased online.
• Phones - Android 4.4 or iOS 9.0 or later is required. If students' phones are older than this, get them to share.
• A router: if the wifi is not strong, this will save you. Any cheap router will do. They will have the network and password on this back. Simply plug it in. Note that this is NOT the internet, so you will not be able to browse or access anything online while connected to the router.

How to use the Thinglink "On Patrol" VR experience:

• Thinglink allows users to create interactive images with embedded hotspots that can contain text, audio or video.
• The paid version allows you to upload 360 images and embed content. There is a difference between what you can do with a 360 image that you want to view with a VR viewer, and a 360 images viewed in 2D, on a screen.
• Students have the option of doing this lesson on a screen, where the drag around the 360 images and click on the hotspots. The hotspots contain text or audio.

For the VR option, make sure the students do the following:

• Ensure their phone rotation is on. This is really important. When they enter the link, they need to tap "view 360" and then tap the cardboard icon. They will then need to turn their phones on its side in order to place them in the VR viewers. If the phone rotation is not on, they will not be able to do this.
• The audio will start immediately. Make sure students are prepared, and have their headphones in.
• The hotspots are all images. Students simply hover their viewers over the hotspots and the images will appear.
• To navigate from one image to the next, they hover the viewers over the red arrow. To start again, they will need to refresh the browser. All these instructions are also in the lesson plan.
• NB: This is for CSWEII & III only. For CSWEI the teacher will read out the text, similar to Expeditions. This task is still under construction.