Expeditions

This app is a cool concept but seems to be missing key features. Unless I am missing something, it wont shift to landscape mode, at least not on my iphone with no cardboard. Portrait is fine with just the phone, but I might want to mirror to my tv for education, and mirroring an iphone in portrait to a mounted flatscreen wastes 2/3 of the screen. Also audio narration would be very useful, there is no screen space on an iphone to read the text while viewing so without audio its less immersive. Recording the audio would be so easy, but some google manager is probably stubborn on their fine principles.

As a K-12 educator I think this is a pretty good app for virtual reality. This app allows the user to view different places around the world as well as anatomy. I like that there are to modes, basic VR and then a setting for use with Google Cardboard. I could see this being used in an educational setting to allow students to view parts of the world, like Pompeii to help enhance a lesson. I also like that there are so many science options to help enhance a students understanding like in anatomy. The issue I have is a lot of the different options do not have narration but mostly reading. This could pose a serious issue for younger learners. Overall though it is a great VR tool.

I have begun to use this app in my high school science classroom to allow the students to explore concepts such as cells and and the nervous system. Many of the components of biological systems are difficult for students to visualize and sometimes diagrams don’t cut it. This app provides a free way to supplement what the students are learning in class. But... -Guiding an expedition can be difficult if the WIFI does not synch correctly. I wish there was an access key that students could type in (similar to Kahoot and Quizizz) so that they can join my Expedition that way. -My class does not have VR headsets but they do have iPADs. This works fine as long as the selected Expedition has the option to view in full screen. BUT this app locks the user in and does not allow my students to split the screen so that they can type answers on a worksheet that is paired with the Expedition. If they exit out of the app to complete the worksheet, then the Expedition starts over from the beginning. (Yes, I know I can print the worksheet out for them but my school pushes us to be as paperless as possible). I still recommend checking this out, as it is a great and innovative app that can help bring any subject to life for the students.