360° Panoramas

360° photos and videos capture a complete panoramic view of the surroundings and allow viewers to look in all directions. They are created using special cameras or software.
These panoramas can be enriched with additional texts, tasks, or multimedia content. In this way, learners’ attention can be guided and they receive further information directly within the context of the image. Multiple images and videos can be combined into tours, enabling the virtual exploration of a larger area—such as a building—or the comparison of several recordings.
Museums and exhibitions have been using this technology for quite some time. In teaching, however, it is still only rarely employed.

Why use 360° panoramas?

This technology makes it possible to virtually explore real locations that would otherwise be difficult or impossible for learners to access. Time-limited projects can be permanently documented and preserved. Repeated recordings of the same location over a longer period of time can document processes of change.
Spaces and processes can be captured in their entirety rather than in isolated sections. The structure of a space and the relationships between individual objects become more tangible than with images that have a smaller field of view.
Viewers themselves decide where to look within the image and which aspects to focus on. Learning with this material is therefore particularly well suited to exploratory and self-directed learning.

360° panoramas are suitable for...

• Virtual exploration of spaces, such as:
• historic buildings
• laboratories
• cultivated areas
• workspaces
• biotopes
• exhibition spaces
• Documentation of exhibitions
• Preparation and follow-up of field trips
• Documentation of processes
• …and much more!

What are the potential pitfalls?

Using 360° panoramas in teaching requires careful planning. The positioning of the camera is crucial in order to capture the most complete image possible.
Details are only visible to a limited extent in panoramic images. It should therefore be decided in advance whether close-up shots of specific objects taken with regular cameras are necessary for the learning scenario.
In conventional photos and videos, viewers’ attention can be guided through framing. This is only possible to a limited extent with panoramic images. Alternatives must therefore be found if students’ attention is to be directed to specific elements within the image.
Especially when using 360° videos, the sheer size of the video files can lead to challenges in editing and distribution. Sufficient time should therefore be planned for this.

How do I create 360° recordings? / Where can I get help?

To create and edit 360° recordings, you need special cameras and software. Teaching staff at the University of Göttingen can borrow one of these cameras and a laptop with the appropriate software from the Digital Learning and Teaching team.
Panoramas and tours can be made available to students via Stud.IP.
For further questions and support, please contact the DLL team.