Educators today wear many metaphorical hats, especially as technology develops. They are expected to become film directors, vloggers, and coding experts, not to mention navigating the world of AI and feeling the burden of their students’ online safety.
It can be easy to forget that a key part of the mission of educational technology (EdTech) is to create immersive experiences. In this article, we take immersion back to basics because, in truth, it’s possible to achieve immersion without any technology at all.
What Is Immersion, and Why Is It So Important?
Simply put, immersion is a feeling. It refers to an experience that deeply engages a person’s senses, emotions and attention, creating a sense of being fully surrounded and absorbed in a particular environment or activity. So, if you’ve ever read a good book, seen a particularly captivating performance, or smelled a scent that unlocked a memory, you’ve experienced immersion.
Research shows that learning gained through real experience carries far more depth and stays with us longer. On top of that, experiences which elicit an emotional response create stronger connections and memories. It is therefore beneficial to give students experiences which are personal and powerful, to amplify reactions and create long-lasting knowledge retention.
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Educators have been teaching lessons through immersive moments for many years. The trick is to recognize an immersive moment for what it is, capture the window of opportunity, and take advantage of students’ open and receptive minds. Below, we’ll explain five of the teaching tools and techniques that every educator has at their fingertips.
1. Use a Story
It might seem incredibly basic, but storytelling is one of the fundamental vehicles of immersion. An engaging narrative:
- gives context to learning;
- creates rich mental images;
- promotes active listening;
- arranges learning points in a way that creates connections, supporting easy recall;
- provides a human viewpoint, and promotes understanding on a personal level;
- prompts students to formulate opinions on the subject matter.
So, whether it’s a short tale or poem to cover in a single session, or a novel to base your entire unit of study on, I encourage you to find a narrative linked to your learning material. Don’t get hung up on how perfectly the story covers your objectives – just find something that will open students’ hearts and minds to the world inside the narrative. You’ll be amazed at the connections they’ll make between the story and the rest of your lessons.
2. Stimulate the Senses
Our senses are incredibly powerful in creating memories, forming connections in our brain and developing emotional relationships. To help create lasting memories, why not try some of these ideas to amplify your learning activities?
- Create a soundscape together by making sounds that you might hear in your chosen setting (e.g. at sea, exploring Antarctica, in ancient Rome)
- Taste food or ingredients used by specific peoples or at key events
- Introduce or replicate a smell that might transport students in their minds
- Find an image, color or moodboard for students to interpret while listening to information
- Mimic a change in temperature to help students imagine conditions somewhere else
- Pass around an item for students to feel (e.g. the weight of a full backpack; a type of fabric; a fossil)
Research shows that cutting out one or more of our senses allows us to concentrate more on the senses available to us. Encourage students to close their eyes while listening to a story; turn out the lights or close the blinds when students are watching a video; mimic a deserted landscape by creating a prolonged, complete silence.
3. Get Moving
It’s no news that movement can be a powerful tool in learning. The feeling of ground moving under a student’s feet can quickly turn them into the protagonist in their own story so that, in combination with these other techniques, they can be convinced that they are walking around an ancient settlement or on the surface of Mars. Try some of these activities:
- Ask children to experiment with lower gravity on other planets/the Moon, incorporating percentages work as you imagine turning the gravity up and down and walking with lighter or heavier steps.
- Ask children to stand in a certain area to represent their opinion. Ask them to explain why they are standing there, then invite others to change their mind by moving if they want to.
- While telling a story, invite students to behave as if they were the main character. Allow them to walk around the space, sit down, hide, run and experience the physical feelings of the protagonist.
- Try a pre-made Augmented Reality experience like TimePod Adventures.
4. Gamification
This suggestion is a very simple one: make a game of it. Introduce a score, an element of competition, a prize or a level progression, and watch students return time and time again to better their score and firm up their knowledge. The emotions evoked through play are strong and memorable, and games of any type can promote a love of a subject that could last a lifetime. Try it:
- Encourage (friendly) competition
- Create a way for students to come back and do better
- Add a time limit or a stopwatch
- Add open-ended extensions for those who just can’t get enough
- Create ‘levels’ that tie in even more instructional content
- Get them creating their own games!
5. Do It Yourself
Creating immersive experiences doesn’t always require elaborate setups or expensive tools. Often, the most impactful learning moments are those that are hands-on and directly involve the students in the process of discovery. By allowing students to actively engage in their own learning, you foster a deeper connection to the material and enhance their ability to retain knowledge. Here are some strategies you can employ to create powerful experiential learning opportunities:
- Let students do it themselves. It might be daunting, but kinesthetic and tactile learners will benefit from being given the chance to dive in, even if you lose a little bit of structure in the process.
- Promote active listening with challenges, or by putting the students in charge of the exercise with some clear scaffolding.
- Use ready-made digital experiences such as 3D Virtual Field Trips.
- Have fun!
A Word of Caution
By its nature, immersion can elicit emotional responses from students. Always be aware of the potential triggering effect of any of the above on specific students in your setting, and exercise due care and attention.
