Activity Ideas

Immersive Technology in the Classroom

We don’t want to limit your creativity! To get you started, here are some ways to use XR in your class. 

  • Go on a virtual field trip. With the Google Arts and Culture or Google Earth app and a mobile phone, students can go anywhere in the world in a matter of minutes. 

  • Use XR videos to visit museums, historical places and people. More websites are updating to include virtual tours in multiple languages!

  • Create fictional spaces. Let students recreate settings of a novel they are reading, or design a fictional city with XR tools and then explore it. Mozilla Hubs would be a great tool for both teachers and students! Here are some instructions for getting started.

  • Solve mysteries, play games or use other VR apps for external assignments.

Specific Language Skill Examples

Speaking/Listening (in class pair/group work) Listening (outside of class assignment) Reading Writing
Speaking/Listening (in class pair/group work)

Time: Estimated 15-20 minutes (having already downloaded the app) plus a few minutes to explain the assignment

Objective(s): 

  1. Students are exposed to target vocabulary and culture using VR technology
  2. Students demonstrate the ability to use and understand vocabulary in conversation with peers

Resources: Google Arts & Culture Expeditions (Find a tour or experience that works for your course)

Materials: VR Headsets (optional) and Student Devices (mobile phones)

Student Instructions:

For this assignment, we will be using your mobile phone. Go to the Google Expedition app or download it from Google Play. The icon is white and has an orange flag. You will see a white popup screen that says “Welcome to Expeditions!” Click I Accept. Next, you will come to a screen that says “Be a guide or Be an explorer.” Click on Explorer.

Wait for the main page to load and click or search for [Name of Tour]. There are X scenes to look at in pairs/groups. Please take turns and describe what you see to your classmates using colors, numbers, shapes and any other words you know. 

Describe what you see, take X minutes per person, and then switch. I will call you back into the main room after X minutes. Group debriefs as needed.

Time: Estimated 8 minutes

Objective(s): 

  1. Students derive meaning from messages and practice using listening strategies
  2. Students comprehend and interpret information in authentic messages and informational dialog

Resources/Links: Find an immersive video of a city or place on YouTube (VR or 360° video) 

Materials: VR Headsets (optional) and Student Devices (mobile phones)

Student Instructions:

For this assignment, we will be using your mobile phone. Please go to YouTube and search for [Name of Video] and click on the link. Listen and observe where you are (describe where you are or what you see). You might not understand everything, but try to follow along and maybe identify 3 new words. Also, if you could teleport to one part of the city/place…where would you go?

This could have a follow-up discussion or instructors could ask students to write a summary, etc. See more below.

Time: Estimated 10 minutes

Objective(s): 

  1. Students derive meaning from texts using reading and viewing strategies
  2. Comprehend and interpret stories and texts

Resources/Links: Google Earth or YouTube

Materials: VR Headsets (optional) and Student Devices (mobile phones)

Student Instructions:

For this assignment, we will be using your mobile phone or laptop. Please go to Google Earth or Youtube and search for [Location/ Name of Video]. Watch the videos and read the associated story. What are the main points of the reading? What did you learn?

Time: Estimated 1 hour

Objective(s):

  1. Students are exposed to target vocabulary and culture using VR technology
  2. Students demonstrate the ability to use and understand vocabulary in written work

Resources/Links: Google Arts & Culture Expeditions (or YouTube/ Google Earth VR/ Museums)

Materials: VR Headsets (optional) and Student Devices (mobile phones)

Student Instructions:

For this assignment, we will be using your mobile phone and the cardboard VR headset. Please go to the Expedition app (or YouTube/ Google Earth VR/ Museums) and please look at 5 locations that you would like to know more about. Write a paragraph (or X paragraphs/pages) letting us know: 

Where did you go? Why did you pick those places? Did the videos have narration? (You could add a number of prompts based on learning objectives: how did it feel, describe colors, how many, who, etc?)

and/or

Choose your favorite place and create an informational pamphlet, advertisement or tourist destination marketing pitch to help that city promote and help revive the local economy and attract travelers! Students should organize a pitch for their favorite place by using infographics, flyers and more using Canva (free graphic design creator) and signing up for student accounts.