Google Expeditions

Google Expeditions is an immersive education app that allows teachers and students to explore the world through over 1000 virtual-reality (VR) and 100 augmented-reality (AR) tours. You can swim with sharks, visit outer space, and more without leaving the classroom, with or without a VR device such as Google Cardboard.

Built for the classroom and small group use, Google Expeditions allows a teacher acting as a “guide” to lead classroom-sized groups of “explorers” through collections of 360° and 3D images while pointing out interesting sights along the way.

Expeditions can be installed to Android and iOS devices.

What is VR, AR & GOOGLE CARDBOARD?

We have a page to explain VR and AR as well as give you a quick run through of Google Cardboard, the affordable way to bring Virtual Reality into the classroom.

Have a look at our What is VR, AR and Google Cardboard? page.

Google Poly

While the Google Expeditions app comes with many tours built in, the Google Poly website has thousands more created by both professionals and amateurs. Plus when you’re logged in to Google and using Poly, if you spot a tour that says Works with Google Expeditions then if you ‘Like’ that tour, it will be available in your Expeditions app when you next open it. Whether it’s the Holy Places of Jerusalem for Religious Studies, American National Parks for Geography or Inside Abbey Road for Music, there are hundreds of thousands of pre-made tours and 3D content available on Poly.

Create your own

You can also use the Google Cardboard Camera app on Android or iOS to create your own tours of places you’re visiting. Maybe you are going on a trip that some students can’t afford to go on, you can take some 3D images using the app then build your own tour. This option means they will still be able to see everything you can see but just in the classroom when you get back.

If you’re feeling really adventurous, fancy a challenge or just want to save yourself a fiver, scroll to the bottom of this link and you can find instructions on how to create your own Google Cardboard viewer. If you do make your own, let us know how it goes!