Literacy

Exploring learning with Virtual Trips

Image of an old plane

How to create dynamic learning resources in PowerPoint


What is a virtual trip?

A virtual trip is a visit to a place or places of interest on the web as opposed to a visit to a real place. 

The place can be somewhere in the imagination, in the past, present or even the future. It can be into the world of great artists such as Van Gogh or Shakespeare. It can be within your geographic region or as far removed from it as imaginable; the rainforest of Central America, the desolate surface of Mars or, in this example, back in time to see the Wright brothers fly the first powered aircraft. 

The virtual trip is not just about surfing the web for sites related to a topic. It is a pre-planned learning activity with a clearly stated intended learning.

In order for the virtual trip to be successful it is necessary for the teacher to spend time locating a range of websites that are suitable and appropriate in support of the intended learning.

Why go on virtual trips?

The internet is growing exponentially. Present and future advancements in multimedia content on the web will mean that computers can be portals through which children can view and engage with an almost endless range of learning resources. 

Access to libraries will allow children to view documents such as the the Ragman's Roll, webcams will mean that children can view, in real time, the canopy of a rainforest, waders wintering at the local estuary or even space craft flying into orbit from Cape Canaveral. 

Software will allow children to play games and in doing so learn what it might have been like to be a Victorian sweep's boy, to fly the first powered aircraft or even to have sailed a Viking longship. 

Streaming video will afford children the chance to see Martin Luther King's 'I have a dream' speech, footage from the Battle of Britain or even Scott's trek to the Antarctic.

These resources can only help to enliven and enrich the curriculum. Traditional resources such as library books and museum artefacts will always be required but this new technology allows us to introduce a dynamic dimension that will connect with, motivate and engage modern day learners. 

The hidden beauty of the virtual trip is that you do not need to leave the classroom, no parental permission slip is required, no money need be taken and no risk assessment is necessary.

The learning in a virtual trip

There are clear links to Environmental Studies in an activity such as this but it can be used to address the development of skills in other curricular areas too. 

The example offered in this tutorial is designed around the task of going back in time to write a newspaper report about the Wright brothers flight. 

This event was of huge technological, historical and cultural significance so the virtual trip has been designed to help the children develop their understanding of this. 

It is still very much required that the teacher teach the skills of writing a newspaper report - the virtual trip lets them virtually live the experience from which they can write. The learners will be able to find out all about the people involved and what the facts of the event were, but more importantly, they will be able to watch the flight and even have a go at flying the first manned powered aircraft.

An exemplar note taking sheet for the children to use in this task is included in this example.

The PowerPoint Tutorial

The example that you see on this page is created in a web animation application called Flash. We can create something very similar in PowerPoint. 

These files give access to resources that will let you use this virtual trip in the class but more importantly to tutorial support that will enable you to develop the skills in PowerPoint to create your own virtual trips.

Powerpoint icon PowerPoint file: Tutorial - Creating a virtual trip

Powerpoint icon PowerPoint file: Virtual trip - the Wright brothers

Word icon Word file: The Wright brothers note-taking sheet