Lenovo VR Classroom 1: Google Expeditions Overview

Lenovo VR Classroom 1: Google Expeditions Overview

Lenovo VR Classroom 1: Google Expeditions Overview

The Lenovo VR Classroom 1 kit comes preloaded with some content from the Google Play store including Google Expeditions. Google Expeditions is a free app that includes over 700 virtual field trips, taking students places like under the sea, outer space, and inside the human body.

In this video we will be introducing you to how can do a guided learning session with Google Expeditions in your classroom.

Guide mode:

Note that Students can use Expeditions in a Explorer (self-guided) mode but this video will focus on using Expeditions in a teacher-guided (Guide Mode) learning session. Remember, in a teacher guided session, the teacher will use the teachers device (tablet or Chromebook) to open a virtual reality experience and guide students through that experience.

Google Expedition session:

To start a Google Expedition session, choose the expedition you would like prior to class starting. You could explore polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba, or even the Great Barrier Reef.

Open the Google Expeditions app on the tablet. You can explore expeditions by scrolling through the app, or you can search for specific expeditions using clicking magnifying glass in the top right corner. You can also filter by different category areas, such as arts and culture, landscapes science, the environment and more.

Downloading the expedition to the tablet:

Once you find the expedition that you want to use, ensure that it is downloaded to the tablet by looking for the circle with a checkmark inside of it, in the bottom right corner of the expedition. If there is no checkmark, in the bottom right corner, it means that the expedition is not downloaded. To download, make sure you are connected to a wireless internet connection and then simply tap the expedition that you would like to download. When you tap an expedition to download, a flashing down arrow will appear in the bottom right corner. When the flashing arrow turns to a checkmark you know that expedition has been downloaded. Make sure to download new tours prior to starting an expedition with students.

Expeditions downloaded to the tablet, and Guide mode:

If you want to see the expeditions that are currently downloaded on the tablet, tap the three dash icon in the top right corner and then turn the downloaded only slider on until it turns orange. Make sure that your expedition app is in “guide” mode. You will see in the top left corner that it should say “guide”.

Explorer Mode, and changing to Guide mode:

If your expedition app says “explorer” in the top left corner, tap where is says “explorer” and then choose “lead”. This will change you into “guide” mode. You are the guide, guiding your students through the expedition, your students are the explorers following your lead through the expedition content.

Ensure tablet and headsets are connected:

If using the Ruckus wireless access point, the tablet and all of the headsets will automatically connect. If using another wireless network, ensure that the tablet and all of the headsets are on the same wireless network.

Starting the guided tour:

When you are ready for the guided tour, have students boot up their headsets and put the headsets on ensuring a proper fit. Once on, headsets should automatically connect to the expedition as long as the headsets are on the same wireless network as the teacher tablet. The number in the top right corner of the Expeditions app, indicates the number of headsets connected to the app. You can tap the number to get a list of the headsets connected. From this screen you can tap connect explorers for step by step instructions of how to connect explorers to the app if troubleshooting is needed. When ready to start the expedition, tap the expedition of choice and then tap the start button, You can see smiley faces on the tablet screen. Smiley faces indicate where students are looking in their VR headsets. Give students a minute to explore the 360 degree view around them.

Conducting the guided tour:

When ready to begin the tour you can tap the orange header on the bottom. Text explaining the scene and guiding questions divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced appear on the screen. You can choose which questions to ask based upon your students age and knowledge of the content.

You can direct students to a specific area of the scene by tapping one of Google Expeditions icons that looks like a compass. This will place a compass in the student headsets highlighting a specific area to view. If a student is looking in another direction, an arrow will guide the student to the place of focus. Remember to look for the smiley face icons to ensure students are viewing the correct place in the scene.

If you tap the orange navigation bar, you may also see a picture icon, although each expedition has different content. If you tap the photo icon it will bring up a picture in the scene and you can read the text to explain the picture.

If at any point you want to highlight something on the screen, you can tap the squiggly icon in the top right corner, and then you can annotate on the screen. Students can see your annotations. You may want to use this feature to circle something of interest, or write a word being discussed. When you are ready to clear your annotations click the clear button in the top right corner.

At any point in the expedition you can click the “pause” button and it will remove the scene from the student’s headsets. You may want to use this feature to gather student’s attention, or focus on a specific topic.

When you are ready to end the expedition you can click the “x” in the top left corner. This will remove the scene from the student headsets until you start another expedition.

WARNING: Do not expose the VR headset lens to direct sunlight. This will damage the device.

VR headset


Document ID:VID500022
Original Publish Date:06/08/2018
Last Modified Date:12/23/2024