Embedded Files
Group members: Ananda, Anh, Candan, and Zeynep C.
Overview
Overview
University Survival 101 is a 360° interactive activity where students role-play as a UIUC student who wakes up late for a TILT exam and must arrive at class on time. By exploring scenes, finding clues, and completing short tasks, learners progress through four rounds on their way to the Linguistics Building. Throughout the journey, they practice essential university skills, such as introducing themselves, handling procrastination, and making friends while learning about university life through language practice
Contextualization
Contextualization
Target Language Level: B1
Target age: High School Students to College Freshmen (16-18 years of age)
Location: Indoors (classroom)
Lesson Aims
Lesson Aims
Help students use English to talk about university life in a realistic context.
Give students functional language for introductions, telling short stories, and giving simple advice.
Build awareness of basic skills needed for university survival through an interactive 360° task.
Learning Objectives (SWBATS)
Learning Objectives (SWBATS)
Identify and interpret written clues to understand the purpose or activity in a scene.
Produce a short self-introduction using appropriate language and practice describing a simple sequence of events.
Discuss the concepts related to university life, such as procrastination and making friends.
Use at least 10 target vocabulary items related to campus life, academic tasks, and daily student routines (e.g., dorm, lecture, assignment, deadline, cafeteria) in both spoken and written contexts.
Teacher's Preparation
Teacher's Preparation
Set up and test the Lapentor Project to ensure all visual and textual elements are visible and interactive. (Chrome browser is recommended to ensure that the audio is playable)
Test navigation controls and ensure students know how to move, zoom, and click within the environment.
Introduce the context and guide students to interact with the hotspots.
Plan a short wrap-up discussion for students to share what they have learned about university life.
Materials
Materials
Website: Lapentor
Personal devices: PCs, laptops, or tablets
All of the information, images, and quizzes are included in the Lapentor site.
QR Code for the Activity
Brief Description of Each Phase of the Task Cycle
Brief Description of Each Phase of the Task Cycle
Instructions and set up (10 minutes)
The teacher introduces the context: the main character (a university student) has overslept at the Illini Union, and they are almost late for a TILT exam. They must reach the Linguistics Building before their exam begins.
Students access Lapentor and learn how to navigate the 360° scenes, rotate the view, and interact with hotspots.
Students work individually or in pairs.
Main activity (30 minutes)
Students explore four rounds. These rounds are related to the skills and knowledge necessary to start university.
Round 1: Warm-up — Explore your surroundings (Scene 1-3)
Students investigate the first three scenes, examining their surroundings and responding to prompts about location, objects,
and messages. The purpose is to build situational understanding and familiarize students with the interface.
Round 2: How to introduce yourself (Scene 4-5)
As part of the mission of helping a new student introduce herself to other people in the university, students explore scene 4 to locate language resources related to self-introduction, then record a brief self-introduction.
Round 3: How to deal with deadlines and procrastination (Scene 6-7)
Students explore the 'lost memory' scene where a friend can’t remember how they almost missed a deadline. They collect clues, sequence the events, use the useful language provided to tell the short story, and discuss simple strategies to avoid procrastination.
Round 4: How to make friends (Scene 8-9)
Students navigate the scenes to identify typical social spaces where they can make friends. They respond to prompts about where and how students can meet others and come up with 2–3 suggestions for building friendships in university.
Post-activity (10 minutes)
The class reflects on what they have learned through the activities.
Students share their outputs (self-introductions, stories, advice).
Examples
Examples
The 360 Pictures in Lapentor is your oyster! Explore different scenes and interact with various hot spots to uncover fascinating details, hidden stories, and multimedia surprises about each immersive scene!
Click on hot spots to see various media types (visual & audio) and collect clues!
After checking each hot spot, click on the arrow to lead to the next scene. Be careful though! You will need a password that can be found in one of the hot spots, so be attentive of each hot spot around the scene.
Illini Union Entrance
Illini Union Entrance
📍Illini Union Entrance: The place where our main character falls asleep and struggles to make her way out of the building! Echoes of footsteps, flickering lights, and locked doors set the stage for a surreal escape.
Quad
Quad
🌳 Quad: A wide-open space where time seems to pause. Students lounge, squirrels dart, and memories unfold. This is where our character recalls a pivotal conversation and maybe spots a familiar face in the distance.
The Linguistics Building
The Linguistics Building
🏛️ The Linguistics Building: Where words come alive and silence speaks volumes. Our main characters initial aim is to take her exam in this building on time, but she encounters side quests along the way...
🧍♂️ Meet the NPCs! Step into the scene and get to know the characters who bring this world to life! Each NPC (non-player character) has a story to tell, a role to play, and a few surprises up their sleeve!
CANDAN 😤
Candan is the first NPC the main character encounters, setting the tone for a day full of unexpected twists. Their paths cross in the bustling Illini Union, where our main character, rushing to make it to her exam, accidentally bumps into the protagonist and spills coffee on her. The moment is chaotic, but it opens the door to a meaningful interaction. After the main character takes a moment to apologize, Candan softens and offers a cryptic clue that hints at a password needed later in the journey.
ANANDA ☺️
Ananda is the second NPC the main character encounters, just moments after leaving the Illini Union. As the main character passes by, Ananda quickly asks for help. She’s new to the university and unsure how to introduce herself to her classmates in a way that feels confident and authentic. This interaction becomes a mini quest: the player must explore the surrounding area, gather social cues and language tips from nearby hot spots, and then guide Ananda through a practice introduction. Once she feels ready, Ananda shares a clue that becomes essential for unlocking the next stage of the game.
ANH 🤔
Anh is the final NPC the main character encounters, just outside the Linguistics Building. The problem? She can’t remember if she submitted her assignment. Everything from the previous night is a blur, she only recalls starting at 6 PM in her room. Now, she needs help retracing her steps. To solve the mystery, the player must explore five hidden hot spots across campus, each holding a clue about Anh’s evening. Guiding the search is Squirrel, a cheerful companion who offers riddles to decode each location. Once all clues are collected and the story pieced together, the player must submit the final answer on the form to unlock the password for the next round.
Embedded Tools Overview
YouTube
Use for short videos, character intros, scene transitions, or tutorials. Great for adding emotional tone or visual storytelling.
Twinery
Perfect for branching narratives, dialogue choices, or interactive quests. Players can explore different outcomes based on their decisions.
Google Forms
Ideal for collecting answers, triggering password reveals, or tracking progress. You can use it as a checkpoint or puzzle submission tool.
Vocaroo
Adds voice-based clues, character monologues, or ambient sound effects. It’s a lightweight way to bring NPCs to life with audio.
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