Online Educa Berlin isanannual global, cross-sector conference and exhibition on digital learning and training. The conferencegathers participants from around the world to learn about developments in learning technologies.
University of Stavanger was invited to talk about 360° video simulation and used the 360ViSi project as case subject. Video producer Mari Linn Larsen and Media Engineer Kåre Spanne presented the project in front of an audience of 60 people.
Mari Linn Larsen and Kåre Spanne from University of Stavanger and the 360ViSi project.An audience of 60 people attended the session.
“I am very pleased that so many wanted to hear about our experiences from the 360ViSi Erasmus+ Knowledge Alliance and were interested in learning how to use 360° simulation in their own education,” says Mari Linn Larsen.
The feedback from the participants was positive, and many of them had questions.
“The presentation sparked an interesting discussion in the room, where we could elaborate further on the kind of situations where 360° simulation can enhance education and increase the access to training,” Kåre Spanne explains.
Media Engineer Kåre Spanne on 360 simulation.Great interest from the audience who engaged in useful discussions.
Partners from all four countries participated in the project meeting. The aim was to bring all partners up to speed on each other’s cases and progress, as well as preparing for the final stretch of the project.
UoN’s Immersive Suite
University of Nottingham (UoN) has its own Immersive Suite on campus, which the project partners were allowed to visit. Michael Taylor, Kathrine Wittingham and lecturer Gill Langmack demonstrated how the technology works and how UoN used it in the training of nurses.
At the immersive suite, images or video is projected onto three walls, and allows students to interact with the content through hotspots, quizzes.
Michael Taylor demonstrates how the Immersive Suite can be used.Everyone was given the chance to try the Immersive Suite.Lecturer Gill Langmack
Michael Taylor has tested the 360ViSi Community Nursing Case in the Immersive Suite, and the project partners were allowed to try the technology with a quiz. See some examples in the video below.
Video footage of the Immersive Suite in use.
360° images in Xerte
Fay Cross from University of Nottingham presented how the Xerte technology is used to create Reusable Learning Objects, and how 360 images can be applied to the system.
The Xerte Project aims to provide high quality free software to educators all over the world, and to build a global community of users and developers. The Xerte technology was developed at the University of Nottingham. Check it out here!
360 image with hotspots in Xerte.
Other topics covered on the first day were the implications of the EU web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG) for the design of Reusable Learning Objects (RLO) and 360⁰ media cases specifically, and Design Thinking as a framework for RLO development.
Project meeting – Day 2
The second day of the transnational meeting started with focus on evaluation. Professor Heather Wharrad (UoN) introduced the evaluation requirements and toolkit for the project.
Each partner university gave an update on the development of and experiences from their respective cases, and presented their methods for collecting data – and preliminary student feedback from each case.
Project parter Screen Story from Norway presented a business case with a new client, which is a direct result of their participation in the 360ViSi project.
Quasar Dynamics, project partner from Spain, has developed a digital tool which will enable educators to produce Reusable Learning Objects without help from technical experts.
Screenshot from Quasar Dynamics new 360 production tool, which is still under development.
The tool is developed based on identified needs from educators in the 360ViSi project. Quasar presented the Beta version of the tool, and invited everyone to try it and provide feedback.
At the end of Day 2, Dr Matthew Pears from University of Nottingham shared best practices for co-creating Virtual Reality and 360 educational resources based on insights from the CoViRR project, another Erasmus+ project University of Nottingham has been a part of.
Dr. Matthew Pears
Final day
The last day of the meeting, started with input about chatbots in education from the CEPEH Project by Stathis Konstantinidis, James Henderson and Matt Pears.
CEPEH is an Erasmus+ strategic partnership that aims to co-design and implement new pedagogical approaches and, in particular, chatbots for European Medical and Nursing schools.
From left: James Henderson, Matt Pears and Stathis Konstantinids shared insights from the CEPEH project.
There is a growing evidence that chatbots have the potential to change the way students learn and search for information. Chatbots can quiz existing knowledge, enable higher student engagement with a learning task or support higher-order cognitive activities.
The 360ViSi project members were given a mini workshop showing how easy it can be to create a chatbot – about the 360ViSi project.
Introduction about chatbots360ViSi team testing chatbot creation
Way forward
The transnational project meeting was concluded after the partners planned the final stretch of the project. This involves completing all tools and solutions, collecting data, evaluation, disseminatin and final reporting.
Based on input from other projects, like CEPEH, and due to the successful cooperation in the 360ViSi project, the partners are already considering applying for new Erasmus+ projects, with the aim of combining chatbots and 360 media in education.
The document provides basic information on producing 360° video using consumer-oriented equipment. It will discuss what is important to know when shooting 360° video, like tips about equipment, camera settings and camera position.
You will also learn about what you can do post-production; such as editing and exporting the finished video. The user guide gives recommendations and descriptions of different kinds of hardware and software that can be used, with links to several video tutorials.
After reading this – you should have the information you need to get started. We wish you the best of luck!
The 360ViSi projects proceeds according to plan – well almost. Erasmus+ project work usually entails face-to-face interaction and discussions over the table, but this is prevented by the ongoing pandemic. This week, the project partners gather in digital meetings four days in a row instead.
What makes a good case?
So far, a lot of work has gone into planning, researching available technology and mapping the project partner’s different competences. Now the time has come to find the right test cases.
– We are assessing what would be of most value to students, what kind of interactivity would possible in each case and which cases would give most impact with regards to reducing the need for physical training facilities, explains Mari-Linn Atterås Larsen from University of Stavanger.
A proposal for a standard procedure for describing the test cases has been made, which will also be discussed and completed during the workshop. This is done to ensure the same format and quality throughout the project.
Each partner gets the opportunity to present focus areas and dilemmas for production to each other, and with the technical video skilled partners following the discussion, the creative and visual perspectives are well taken care of.
The workshop takes place 19-24 October at 12-14 CET.
