The Moment the Room Changed:

Unlocking the Pedagogical Power of Immersive Spaces

Reflection by Corey Carlson, Resources by Cheryl Colan

I want to share a recent moment that really underscores the kind of learning experiences we are trying to create.

We hosted a group of international scholars on campus, and I had the opportunity to facilitate an immersive session in the YMAX. As I guided them through the space and demonstrated its capabilities, I pulled up Google Street View to explore the environment more interactively. What followed was completely unplanned, but incredibly powerful.

People sharing Google Street View in an Igloo Vision immersive space.

Image courtesy of Igloo Vision via LinkedIn

The scholars began volunteering their hometowns. As each location was pulled up, they took turns guiding us through their communities, sharing personal stories, history, landmarks, and lived experiences connected to those places. The room quickly shifted from a technology demonstration to something much more meaningful: a shared, human-centered exchange across cultures.

It was a strong reminder that while immersive technologies like the YMAX can be impressive on their own, their real value emerges when they create space for people to bring their own stories, identities, and perspectives into the experience.

This was one of those moments where the pedagogical potential of the space became very clear. I am grateful I had the chance to witness it, and I thought it was worth sharing as an example of what is possible when design, technology, and human connection align.

This was such a truly special moment that I am beyond grateful to have experienced!

Google Street View in the YMAX

If you're feeling inspired, act on it! Dream up your own Google Street View experience that your students can share in the YMAX. Here are some resources to get your creativity flowing.

Laura Smith shares some great teaching ideas for Google Maps and Google Earth: “These assignments demonstrate well how writing within maps can aid students’ invention process, prompt students to make visual, spatial, and physical connections within and across texts, and can, themselves, constitute an argument (thereby denaturalizing mapping as an authorless or objective rendering of space).”
California Community Colleges has a Teaching with Google Maps Guide.
Google Maps for Education has a collection of lesson ideas and resources for multiple disciplines (English, Math, Science, and Social Sciences).
Ditch That Textbook lists 20 ready-to-go virtual field trips you can go on using Street View.

When your unique idea is at least partially formed, reach out for a consultation and request the space. Here are the "how" resources you'll need.

This video (on Facebook) from Igloo Vision shows how Street View works in the YMAX.
An Igloo Vision LinkedIn post has a few more photos and example uses.
Use the TLS Service Request Form to request the YMAX (this is temporary, until our booking system is finalized).

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