Dynamic. Tom Foulkes.
01 June 23
The benefits of using 360° technology for elearning
For many years, rich media has been used to enhance learning experiences and create relatable, effective and informative training materials. With the rapid improvement of 360° video technology, it’s unsurprising that 360° videos and panoramas have become an increasingly popular choice for creating innovative elearning solutions.
So, what exactly is 360° content, how is it captured and what implications does it have for transforming the way that we deliver training for years to come? In this blog, we’ll tell you everything you need to know to decide whether this new technology could be just what you’re looking for.
What is 360° content?
360° content refers to images or video content that covers a 360° view of the surroundings. It can be captured by using a single or multi camera setup, or by using specially equipped 360° cameras that are designed to capture high-quality panoramas with ease.
Users can access these panoramas on any device, from desktop PCs to mobile tablets and phones and move their field of view around the panorama by simply using their mouse or swiping with their finger. There’s no need for any specialist equipment, 360° experiences are now widely available to anyone with access to a device of any kind.
How can 360° technology be used in elearning?
360° technology opens up a whole range of uses within elearning, and can be tailored to meet your specific requirements. It can be embedded in traditional authoring tools, or paired with custom HMTL to give your content more of a website look and feel. This also means that you can create fully bespoke, responsive training materials that reflect the style and brand of your company.
Let’s take a look at some examples of how we’ve used 360° technology to create some truly stunning solutions.
YBS – YBS TOUR – 360° tours
One of the most popular uses for 360° content is to create in-depth walkthroughs or tours. It’s increasingly being used to allow people to e-visit locations without the need for them to travel there in person. For example, estate agents have begun to capture properties using 360° technology, so that potential buyers can view the property and get a better feeling for the size and dimensions. In elearning this can be taken one step further, by attaching learning content to various hotspots around the captured scene.
The solution we developed for the Yorkshire Building Society was aimed at giving employees across the business a chance to visit, explore and learn about their head office and branches. A 360° tour is a great way of giving everyone the opportunity to see the heart of the operation if they can’t visit in person.
Entain – Digital Hubs – Site-specific training
360° panoramas offer a great way to provide site-specific training from anywhere and for anyone. Using interaction environments, to showcase new offices, layouts or products, can optimise the ability of businesses in getting everyone up to speed.
When Entain launched their new style Digital Hubs, we used a 360° environment to allow all members of staff to explore and familiarise themselves with the new layouts and features that came with this change, without the need to wait until their local shop was upgraded. The solution also featured a 3D map, interactive menu and interactable betting screens and staff.
The Gym Group – Gym Safe – 360° inductions
Another great way to use 360° technology is to welcome new members of staff and to deliver useful information in the environment it relates to. This can give new recruits the opportunity to explore the workplace before they step foot in it, and get a head start on learning everything they’ll need to integrate smoothly.
Our solution for The Gym Group gave learners the chance to enter one of their gyms and learn a bit more about what to expect when they start work. This included administrative information, health and safety guidelines and manual handling processes. This solution was a great way to introduce staff to the job and workplace ahead of beginning work.
Riverside – Damp, mould and condensation – 360° hazard perception
360° panoramas can also be edited to create the ideal environment to facilitate engagement and learning. This can be as simple as creating a scenario in which someone has been injured, or more complex, such as demonstrating fire damage in a fire safety module. No matter what the requirement, the 360° environment can be edited to enhance the learning experience.
For a project about damp, mould and condensation in homes for The Riverside Group we captured 360° panoramas of a property and added different effects in post to give the illusion of damp, mould and condensation in that property. This also enabled us to create a hazard perception interaction in which learners had to use what they had learnt across the module to identify different hazards in a 360° environment. The aim was to recreate the exact scenario they may find themselves in when they’re out visiting customers’ homes.
MFT – Neonatal – 360° video
360° video allows users to be placed in the middle of a moving scenario, as if they’re part of what’s happening. This can make for some of the most engaging and effective learning solutions and there’s no doubt that it will become a more utilised method in the coming years. A great example of what it can do is this 360° triage scenario we developed for the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), which allows a learner to witness and interact with neonatal surgery.
Now it's your turn
Below is an example of one of our 360 courses for you to interact with.
Summary
360° technology can allow us to create some truly immersive elearning experiences and its potential is only now starting to be realised by businesses with very different training requirements. Its capabilities extend to virtual tours, scenarios, tutorials and many more exciting ways of delivering learning content. So, check it out and see if 360 might be just what you’re after.
Get in touch.
How could the most creative elearning team in the world help you? Get in touch to talk through the challenges you have and how we can help. Send us a message and someone will call you back.