Dynamic Insights
The benefits of using 360 degree video in elearning
BY TOM FOULKES
01 JUNE 2023
In this post, I’m going to discuss the benefits iof using 360 degree video in elearning content. For many years, rich media has been used to enhance learning experiences. This has helped create relatable, effective and informative training materials. And undoubtedly, there’s been a rapid improvement of 360° video technology. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that 360° videos and panoramas have become an increasingly popular choice for creating innovative elearning solutions.
So what is 360 degree video and why does it improve elearning experiences?
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, designed to capture high-quality panoramas with ease.
Users can access these panoramas on any device, from desktop PCs to mobile tablets and phones. They can 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, either. Consequently, 360° experiences are now widely available to anyone with access to a device of any kind.
How can 360° video be used to good effect in elearning?
360° technology opens up a whole range of uses within elearning. Moreover, it can be tailored to meet your specific requirements. Most importantly, it can be embedded in traditional authoring tools, or paired with custom HTML, giving your content more of a website look and feel. Similarly, 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 to use 360° video for some truly stunning elearning 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 visit locations virtually without the need for them to travel there in person. For example, estate agents have begun to capture properties using 360° technology. As a result, potential buyers can view the property and get a better feeling for the size and dimensions. In elearning, we can take this one step further. By attaching learning content to various hotspots around the captured scene, we can take users on a literal journey—but virtually.
As an example, take the elearning solution we developed for the Yorkshire Building Society. This gave 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, even if they can’t visit in person.
Entain – Digital Hubs – Site-specific training
All-round panoramas are a great way of implementing 360 degree video in elearning. Moreover, 360° video offers an effective way to provide site-specific training from anywhere and for anyone. Using interactive 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 created a number of 360° environments. Consequently, all members of staff could explore and familiarise themselves with the new layouts and features. Without physically visiting any premises, they became familiar with this change, without the need to wait until their local shop was upgraded. We also featured a 3D map, interactive menu and interactive video screens and staff.
The Gym Group – Gym Safe – 360° inductions
Here’s another great way to use 360° video in elearning. We helped The Gym Group welcome new members of staff and to deliver useful information in the environment it relates to. This gives new recruits the opportunity to explore their workplace before they step foot in it. And as a result, get a head start on learning everything they’ll need to integrate smoothly.
Our elearning solution for The Gym Group gave users 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. As an elearning solution, it was a great way to introduce staff to the job and workplace ahead of beginning work.
Riverside – Damp, mould and condensation – 360° hazard perception
Within an elearning environment, using 360 degree video is a great way to highlight hazards. We can also edit 360° panoramas to create the ideal environment to facilitate engagement and more impactful elearning. 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.
As an example, we created an elearning resource about damp, mould and condensation in homes for The Riverside Group. For this, we captured 360° panoramas of a property and added different effects in post to give the illusion of damp, mould and condensation. This technique helped us create a hazard perception interaction. In short, learners had to use what they had learnt across the module to identify different hazards in a 360° environment. As a result, this recreated the exact scenario they may find themselves in when they’re out visiting customers’ homes.
MFT – Neonatal – 360° video
Using 360° video in elearning places learners in the middle of a moving scenario. Consequently, they become part of what’s happening. Executed correctly, this makes for some of the most engaging and effective learning solutions. And undoubtedly, it will become a more popular 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). This example shows how a learner can witness and interact with neonatal surgery as it happens.
Now it's your turn
Below is an example of one of our 360 courses for you to interact with.
360° technology can allow us to create some truly immersive elearning experiences. Certainly, its potential is enormous and 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 excellent elearning content. So, check it out and see if 360° video might be just what you’re after for your elearning requirements.
FEATURED CASE STUDY
360° walk-through
Entain is embarking on a digitisation initiative across their retail business, converting shops in key locations across both the UK and Ireland into contemporary digital spaces to create the very best retail experience on the high street. We created a cutting-edge learning programme for Entain including augmented reality elements and 360° environments to give them an unrivalled experience.
“You hit the brief—and then more.”
Nigel Chamberlain | Head of Commercial Product Operations
