Google Expeditions

Emerging Technology presentation, by Margo Tripsa

Ed. S. Instructional Technology, summer 2016
ITEC 7445, Dr. Chiavacci
 From Machu Picchu to
Antarctica to the International
Space Station, where will you
take your class?
Expeditions virtual reality field trips using Cardboard

The app is available today for Android and

will be available for iPhones and iPads soon.

This virtual reality field trip tool works in

conjunction with Google Cardboard.

The app allows teachers to guide students

through an exploration of 200 (and
growing) historical sites and natural
resources in an immersive,
three-dimensional experience.
 What are Expeditions?

Expeditions are collections of virtual

reality panoramas 360 photo
spheres and 3D images
annotated with details, points of
interest and questions that make
them easy to integrate into
curriculum already used in schools.
Collaborators- A promising resource

Google Expeditions has partnered with entities around the globe (such as the
American Museum of natural History, the Smithsonian, the Planetary Society) in
order to create virtual reality experiences and to bring the world into the
classrooms.
 Gives students the
opportunity to explore Helps students
Teachers often lack
and travel the world contextualize
the resources for
without having to learning within real
out-of-the-classroom
leave the classroom. world experiences.
adventures.

Engaging, motivating
since it brings real-life
Can be used across into the classroom.
disciplines: Science, Why?
Art, Math (geometry),
Social Studies.

Helps students with

disabilities see and
Promotes deeper Fosters deeper understand better
cultural understanding understanding of abstract concepts.
and greater global content.
awareness. No age limits.
 VIS is committed to preparing students
for the 21st century by providing an
Vision academic environment in which
International students learn how to creatively solve
problems and to learn independently.
Schools (VIS website)

mission
 Will use technology appropriately as a natural
extension to enhance learning opportunities.
Students will be exposed to and engaged in the use
What makes of technology on a regular basis as a means to
expand their classroom experience and provide
VIS different? them new opportunities for self-expression and
discovery.
(VIS website)
What does it look like
in the classroom?

https://goo.gl/sJxJ6X
 Grandma tries VR for the first time:
What does it look like
outside of the
classroom?

https://goo.gl/zAq1Db
Students/Teachers can create their own
content

App users can also apply Google Street View by taking a

picture in 3D and pushing that experience to virtual reality.
Tech Support:
Google for Education Training Center

How do you plan instruction that utilizes Google Expeditions?

https://goo.gl/ZAHgds
Equipment required to implement Expeditions

An android tablet for teacher navigation (Android 4.4 and above)

Android phones*
Google Expeditions app
Google Cardboard
Internet connection
*Soon to be available on Apple devices

**You can purchase kits on Amazon

Curriculum standards addressed:

Various content standards across disciplines: ELA, math, art, geography, social
studies, science, etc.

ISTE standards for students:

2. Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work

collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and
contribute to the learning of others.
 How can it support learning goals?
Due to the immersive nature of the virtual field trips provides, Expeditions promotes scientific inquiry,
authentic learning, higher order thinking skills, global awareness, collaborative learning. Using Expeditions
to support learning goals, the teachers can design student-centered lessons. The students can freely
explore 3D environments and travel outside of their community to explore or solve problems. These kinds of
experiences are very engaging for the students. They have great value for all students: gifted students,
students with disabilities, young or old students.

The students can differentiate instruction according to the students needs. The teacher, using the iPad for
navigation, can use different field trips with different groups of students and ask them to showcase their
learning in different ways.

The students and the teachers can create their own virtual field trips in order to give students from different
places across the globe the chance to visit their geographic location.
Google Expeditions Kit Prices (Best Buy)
Put together your own kit:

V2 Cardboard: $14 per unit

Smartphone: ASUS Zenphone $60
Tablet: $400
Cardboard app: free
Training and tech support: free

For a classroom of 25 students: $2,250

Limitations:

Not available on Apple devices yet

Just over 200 destinations at this point, but growing
Participants can get nauseous after 15 minutes of use due to the VR
headset and optics
Price
Funding:

Submit a funding proposal to the school owners for

technology innovation in teaching and learning at VIS.
Research about virtual field trips:
Jacobson, Militello, Bavele (2009) maintained that virtual field trips (VTF) have been shown to enhance student
content learning. They designed a pilot VFT which was the complex, multi-faceted representations of a past or
current civilization and how it affects or is affected by its environment (p. 571) for students to learn the relationships
between culture and physical geography through virtual field trips learning experiences. The students, also, reported
enhanced understanding of the content.
Lacina (2004) posited that VFT offer a student-centered approach to instruction and they help teachers create dynamic
learning environments. She added that VFTs allow students to visit people and places in a visually stimulating
environment, which would not be possible otherwise.
Goldenberg, Ba, Heinze and Hess (2003) showed that long-term virtual interactions with scientists embedded into a
multimedia curriculum through virtual field trips have been shown to positively impact student views of science,
scientists, and science careers.
Stainfield, Fisher, Ford, Solem, (2000) noted that VFT greatly empower students who are disadvantaged financially or
physically.
Devaney (2008) claimed that VFT are a great opportunity for students to learn about the world amid budget cuts and
rising fuel price.
Since their beta launch less than a year ago, the Google Expeditions Pioneer Program has taken over a million kids
from 11 countries on Virtual Reality field trips and the results of the pilot program are very encouraging, claimed
Jennifer Holland, the Google project manager for Expeditions (no research was located as Expeditions is an emerging
technology that was just recently launched to the public)
Implementation plan:

Step 1: Introducing Google Expeditions to the teachers

through Professional Development
Step 2: Hands on PD (discuss possible scenarios)
Step 3: Design instruction using Expeditions (the teachers will
identify standards they could support through the use of virtual
field trips). Use a Sign-up sheet for securing tech support while teaching the lesson.
Step 4: Teach the lesson with coaching support
Step 5: Assess student learning and survey the teachers and
the students
Step 6: Debrief the experience and note ideas for making the
most out of this experiences
References:

Best Buy. Google Expeditions Kit Prices

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/clp/googleexpeditions/pcmcat748302046351.c?id=pcmcat748302046351

Devaney, L. (2008). Gas prices fuel rise in virtual field trips. eSchool News. 11(8), 28-28.

Goldenberg, L. B., Ba, H., Heinze, J., Hess, A. (2003) JASON multimedia science curriculums impact on student
learning. Cent Child Technol. Retrieved from www.jason.org/sites/default/files/documents/year_3_final report.pdf

Jacobson A. R., Militello R., Baveye, P. C. (2009). Development of computer-assisted virtual field trips to support
multidisciplinary learning. Comput Educ 52(3), 571580

Lacina, J. G. (2004). Designing a Virtual Field Trip. Childhood Education. 80(4) 221.

Stainfield, J., Fisher, P., Ford, R., Solem, M. (2000). International virtual field trips: A new direction? Journal of
Geography in Higher Education. 24(2).
Google Expeditions

Lets do it!

Thank you!
Reflection:

I was extremely excited to learn about and explore Google Expeditions at the
ISTE conference in Denver at the end of June 2016.

This project definitely strengthened my professional practice. While doing the

research for this presentation, I learned more about how I could use Google
Expeditions in my classroom, I got encouraged to try to get this emerging
technology for my school by writing a proposal, and I learned about the
importance of continuously analyzing emerging technologies and instructional
technology trends.