Day tripping

Global – Teachers will soon be able to whisk students away on virtual field trips around the world thanks to Google’s new Expeditions software. 

• Teachers can control the shared experience through a centralised app
• Expeditions will be available worldwide from the beginning of the 2015–2016 school year

The Expeditions kit works with existing smartphones and uses Google’s Cardboard, a low-cost viewing headset. The software enables students to visit remote locations, such as the Galápagos Islands or Great Wall of China.

‘From the Expeditions app on their tablet, a teacher is able to send synchronised 3D 360-degree panoramas to each student’s viewer, pointing out areas of interest in real time and instantly pausing the trip when needed,’ explains Google in a recent blog post.

Expeditions is already working with partners including the American Museum of Natural History, the Planetary Society and Alchemy VR, to create educational content designed specifically for the new platform, which will enable students around the world to learn by immersing themselves in the sights and sounds of the places in their textbooks.

The Big Picture: Far from shutting us off from the world, technology, when applied creatively and thoughtfully, can bring us closer to the offline world. Find out more in our Awakening Tech macrotrend.