NOTE: As of June 2021, Google Tour Creator is being discontinued (and this post and accompanying video resources will be archived/removed.
- Until June 30, 2021, you will still be able to use Tour Creator. Any tours you publish, either unlisted or publicly, will be available at poly.google.com/creator/tours until June 30, 2021.
- In the coming months, they will provide instructions on their Help Center for how you can export the assets from published tours. After June 30, poly.google.com/creator/tours will no longer be accessible and you will not be able to create any new tours.
Google Tour Creator is an online tool that allows for creating virtual reality tours using 360 images. You can either use one of the many Google templates, your own 360 photos, or 360 images from Google Maps. You can annotate your virtual reality tour with text, images, or audio.
Google Tour Creator can be used by teachers to take students on a virtual trip to almost anywhere in the world. It also offers a number of templates on various topics including human anatomy, solar system, or dinosaur extinction. These templates can be further modified to suit the curriculum needs. Teachers can add highlight areas in the tour by appending a pop up text description, image, or audio clip. The tour can then be viewed on a phone using a Google Cardboard, or on the tablet or desktop browser.
Check out this project enacted in a grade 5 classroom with a colleague (and former student) of mine. This post also shares some strategies to support protecting student privacy using this non-FIPPA compliant technology.
Check out this 360 tour below. Click on the white icons, go through the scenes, and see how the experience is different on your phone, tablet, or desktop.
As we know, technology in the hands of learners for creation can have a strong impact on learning. Visit this comprehensive resource (including lesson plans and curric examples) for a novel study or literature circle activity in which students created their own tours. (Created by Janis and Peter Sawatzky for use in Peter’s gr. 5/6 classroom in SD36)
Eleni Kyritsis offers some classroom lesson ideas using Google Tour Creator:
- Reading – Connecting literature to geolocations
- Creative Writing – Creating imaginative virtual stories
- Humanities – Showcase learning of locations around the world
- Excursions / Camps – Reflecting, highlighting, and sharing of experiences
- Travel Journals – Holiday recounts
- School Tours – Showcasing school facilities
In addition, Google Tour Creator can be utilized in different subject areas. Check out some of the tours below or search for a tour relevant to your topic.
- Science: Human Anatomy – Respiratory System, Volcanoes
- Career: Career tours
- Music: The History of Jazz
- History: Founding Fathers
Please note: Tours can be viewed using a phone, tablet, computer or a VR headset, however tours can only be created using a computer.
Visit our Scarfe Sandbox Video Tutorials for an introduction and some tips.
- Open https://vr.google.com/tourcreator/
- Click on get started
- Create a new tour
- Give it a title and a cover image
- Add scene
- Choose a location by typing city, address or landmark name
- Move the orange person around the map until you find the perfect view and add the scene
- Add points of interest
- Overlay text, images or voice recordings describing those points in the scene
- add other scenes
- Publish your tour and share it
