This segment is part of a larger presentation series titled "The Digital Public History Landscape" created for the fall 2019 Introduction to Public History course at California State University, Fullerton.
Immersive Experiences
"An immersive experiences is an illusory environment that completely surrounds you such that you feel that you are inside it and part of it. The term is associated with technology environments that command the senses..." (Source: Simplicable)
Public historians use digital immersive experiences to bring history to life through interactive storytelling. These technologies allow people to virtually visit historical landmarks and museum exhibitions, and to step back in time participating in poignant historical events.
360 Video
"360-degree content is an interactive photo or a video recording shot in every direction at the same time. It enables the user to change the viewing direction at any moment." (Source: G2)
Example: Texas Historical Commission
The Texas Historical Commission published this 360 video chronicling the Goliad Massacre in March 1836, a significant event from the Texas Revolution. The video combines narrative, maps, images, sound affects, and artifacts to teach the viewer about the battle while immersing them in the history.
If viewing this 360 video on a desktop or laptop, use your mouse to maneuver around the video. If using a mobile device, move the device around to experience different views.
Example: Cultural Heritage Tourism
This tourism promotional video highlights UNESCO sites in the country Turkey, allowing the viewer to explore and walk around these historical sites while also learning more about Turkey's history.
If viewing this 360 video on a desktop or laptop, use your mouse to maneuver around the video. If using a mobile device, move the device around to experience different views.
360 Video Learning Activities
- Using your computer or mobile device, hop on YouTube and do a search for history-related 360 videos on a topic of your interest. Use the term "360' in your search.
Virtual Reality (VR)
"Virtual reality (VR) is a computer simulation. It immerses the user inside a virtual world, allowing them to interact with the environment. VR tries to stimulate as many senses as possible to make the user feel as if they are really there." (Source: G2)
These virtual worlds can be real or imaginary places.
Participating in a VR experience requires specific equipment, first of which is usually a VR headset. That headset can be even something as basic and inexpensive ($15 or less) as Google Cardboard, which works with an iOS or Android smartphone. It also requires specific apps called experiences.. These two pieces of equipment allow you to walk around in, view, and listen to a VR world. Many experiences also allow you interact through touch, using handheld controllers.
Photo courtesy of CSUF's Division of Information Technology.
Example: Newseum's Berlin Wall VR Experience
The Newseum in Washington, D.C. launched its Berin Wall VR Experience in 2017, making the experience available with equipment inside the museum, and has also made a downloadable version available for external use.
"Imagine putting on a virtual reality headset in modern-day Washington, D.C., and being transported to communist East Berlin at the height of the Cold War. As you walk through the deserted streets you pass communist propaganda posters and miles of razor-sharp barbed wire, all while dodging the guard tower searchlights that sweep no-man’s land looking for wall jumpers." (Source: Newseum's YouTube channel)
Newseum's Berlin Wall VR Experience uses the HTC VIVE platform, which is the system available in the Innovation Center at CSUF's Pollak Library. The VR Experience is available to purchase and download from the VIVEPORT app store.
Example: DOMUS V.R.
"DOMUS will allow you to walk through a house of Ancient Rome while listening to information about each locality of the building. Developed by the team of archaeologists from the Laboratory for Roman Provincial Archeology of the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil), DOMUS is a complete cyber-archaeological educational application. You will learn about Roman architecture, economy, religion and food!" (Source: Oculus)
DOMUS V.R. uses the Oculus platform. The VR experience is free and available to download from Oculus Experiences.
VR Learning Activities
- If you are a CSUF student or faculty member, make a reservation to use the VR station in the Innovation Center located on the 2nd Floor of Library North in the Pollak Library. A selection of VR experiences are already installed, and student assistants will be on hand to assist you.
- Download the free Google Expeditions app to your iOS or Android device, and search for a VR experience that incorporates history. Try it out on your mobile device. The experience will be enhanced if you have a VR headset , even an inexpensive Google Cardboard headset.
Augmented Reality (AR)
"Augmented reality (AR) enhances the user's perception of the real world. It does that by adding a computer-simulated layer of information on top of it. The most important benefit of AR is that to the user it feels like a natural extension. AR only adds or hides data from the environment. In contrast, VR completely replaces the user's perception of the real world." (Source: G2)
White virtual reality (VR) places you inside of a virtual world, AR brings virtual interactive objects into the real world, by layering those objects over what you are looking at in real time.
Participating in a AR experience requires specific equipment. This can be a standalone AR headset like the Microsoft HoloLens, which is the equipment we have available in the Innovation Center located in the Pollak Library. However, this can also just be your smartphone using AR apps. Have you ever played Pokémon Go? Then you have used AR on your smartphone. You interact with with AR objects by moving your head and using your hands.
Photo courtesy of CSUF's Division of Information Technology.
Example: Mount Vernon in AR
"Put on a pair of augmented reality glasses and explore the historic estate through rich 360-degree visuals, interesting narration, period music, and atmospheric sounds. These glasses overlay digital content onto the real landscape in real time. While wearing them, you can still see the world as images and video are layered all around you." (Source: George Washington's Mount Vernon's YouTube channel)
The Mount Vernon in VVR experience is available at George Washington's Mount Vernon.
Example: Kennedy Space Center's "Heroes & Legends" AR Exhibit
"At Heroes and Legends, augmented reality brings holograms of astronaut royalty to life. The entire exhibit is dedicated to the men and women at the heart of America’s space program when it was just beginning. Interactive pieces located throughout the building allow early astronauts and NASA legends to tell their stories: why they worked on the program, what the space experience was like and what it meant to them." (Source: Smithsonian.com)
The Heroes and Legends AR experience is available inside the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
AR Learning Activities
- If you are a CSUF student or faculty member, make a reservation to use the AR equipment in the Innovation Center located on the 2nd Floor of Library North in the Pollak Library. Knowledgeable student assistants will help you work with the Microsoft HoloLens AR system.
- Download the free Google Expeditions app to your iOS or Android device, and search for an AR experience that incorporates history. Try it out on your mobile device.
Learning More
- LinkedIn Learning video course: "Virtual Reality Foundations" (available for free to CSUF students, faculty, and staff by logging in through the campus portal)
- YouTube Creator Academy video course (free): "360-degree video and virtual reality on YouTube"
Featured image by Funky Focus from Pixabay.