Virtual Tours

Interactive Tours

"Example 2: Interactive Tours

A high school history teacher, located on the west coast of the United States, wants to showcase to her students new exhibits being held at two prominent New York City museums. The teacher wants her students to take a "tour" of the museums and be able to interact with the museum curators, as well as see the art work on display. Afterward, the teacher would like to choose two pieces of artwork from each exhibit and have the students participate in a group critique of the individual work of art. As a novice of distance learning and distance learning technologies, the teacher turned to the school district’s instructional designer for assistance. In the role of the instructional designer, what distance learning technologies would you suggest the teacher use to provide the best learning experience for her students?"

This scenario caught my eye because I have seen firsthand the excitement this type of interactive tool can create. In the school I currently teach at, the history and art students get those very opportunities within the scope of their coursework, even as elementary students! The ultimate goal is of course “student-centered learning, because it strongly promotes active learning, collaboration, mastery of course material, and student control over the learning process” (Simonson et al., 2009, p. 231). What better way than to allow students to experience (albeit virtually) the wonders of a venue that is nowhere near where they are located physically? I watched as my own son was introduced to the virtual tour of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History as part of his fossil unit. He not only got to experience the fossil portion, but the entire museum. What a wonderful experience! Using this tool, a visitor can experience some of the key exhibits, use an interactive map of the museum, and explore areas that they might previously not have considered.

Another fabulous virtual tour site for students is that of the American Museum of Natural History, specifically the butterfly exhibit. This tour allows for identification of various butterfly species, exploration of a butterfly garden, and even a butterfly cam to allow the students to see through the eyes of a butterfly!

Both sites have sections for further educational value, and provide amazing insight into the behind the scenes aspects of these wonderful museums.

References

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.


Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Located at http://www.mnh.si.edu/panoramas/.

American Museum of Natural History. Located at http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/butterflies/tour.html.