Students travel the world – without leaving classroom

STUDENTS from Warrington travelled the world, went to another planet and walked through a human artery – all from the comfort of the classroom.
Priestley College teamed up with one of the world’s largest companies to give young people studying a variety of A-Levels and BTECs the chance to go on “Google Expeditions”.
Google wants its virtual reality viewer to revolutionise teaching, giving classes the chance to go to places they have never been before.
Tutor Tom Heaton said: “It was a great experience for the students and an interesting look into what could be the future of
Teaching.”
Using the power of virtual reality and Google Cardboard the young pioneers were able to explore the human heart, lungs and blood vessels to watch oxygen-rich blood being distributed throughout the body.
They can float past the Great Barrier Reef, walk on Mars and wander around Buckingham Palace while a natural history exhibit allows them to come face-to-face with dinosaurs.
Tutors synchronise three-dimensional 360° panoramas to each student’s Cardboard viewer – a box with a mobile fitted to the front – directly from a tablet, pointing out areas of interest in real time and taking
them on a journey of discovery.
Former Bridgewater High School pupil Joe Adawee, who studies BTEC IT at Priestley, enjoyed trekking on Mount Everest.
“It was a strange experience, but once you got used to the sensation it was a great way to learn,” he said.
Picture: Geography student Matthew Adcroft enjoys a “Google expedition” at Priestley College.