Many informal education organizations have implemented virtual programming as a way to continue engaging with the school audience during 2020 closures. The most common way to reach audiences virtually has been in the form of tour and demonstration-like experiences via video call platforms. Adler’s immersive virtual field trip is a fresh take on virtual programming where students explore the size and scale of planets in a virtual solar system.
Using the Mozilla Hubs VR-style platform, students engage with their personal Adler Educator, and with each other via avatars. With this innovative technology, Adler has completely customized the virtual space based on our audience’s needs to implement an experience that promotes authentic collaboration between students, whether remote or in their classrooms. The uniqueness of the platform allows students to take control over their experience, exploring what they find most interesting and choosing to explore independently or with the help of their educator. During this session, participants will get an overview of the program and the technology, and will be provided the opportunity to explore the 3-D world, experiencing the solar system first hand, with an invitation to join a virtual field trip link via mobile devices. Attendees will be presented with implementation techniques to assist in this different form of student engagement. They will also learn about the challenges with communications around a unique program, overcoming obstacles in explaining the user experience and in introducing registrants to new technology.
