Learning and teaching with 360° videos in vocational and professional education and training

1. What are 360° videos?

3. How are 360° videos used in education?

Research has shown that 360° videos can support three main teaching approaches (Bruni et al., 2021):

1. Lecturing – The teacher uses immersive videos to deliver content in a transmissive manner, for example, to explain a complex scientific concept or show a historical event. Evidence suggests that the advantage of 360° videos in this case is limited, as immersion does not always add much to straightforward knowledge transmission.
2. Modelling – 360° videos are particularly effective in showing procedures or professional practices, such as a surgical operation, a chemistry experiment or a classroom interaction. This perspective helps learners notice important details and picture themselves in the practitioner’s role, especially when the (three-dimensional) spatial dimension is professionally relevant.
3. Exploring – 360° videos allow students to virtually enter environments they would not normally access, such as a space station, a hazardous worksite or a cultural heritage site. Learners can freely choose where to direct their attention, stimulating curiosity and discovery.

Complementing these approaches, Evens et al. (2023) identify three main types of 360° video content:

1. Environment videos – Focused on places or settings rather than human actions, these videos allow learners to explore spaces such as museums, hospital rooms, rainforests or historical sites, making them ideal for observation and discovery.
2. Situation videos – Capturing spontaneous human behaviour and interactions without a fixed script, these videos help learners access and possibly reflect on authentic practices, social interactions or professional scenarios, such as a classroom lesson or a doctor–patient consultation.
3. Demonstration videos – Scripted and carefully structured, these videos show step-by-step how to perform a specific task or procedure. They are especially useful for teaching procedural knowledge and practical skills, such as medical techniques, craft skills or laboratory experiments.

By combining teaching strategies with different types of video content, teachers can purposefully align the use of 360° videos with their learning goals. Table 1 provides some illustrative examples of possible pairings. These examples are intended to inspire practice rather than provide an exhaustive list of options.

Table 1. Possible pairings of the three main teaching approaches and the three main types of 360° video content.

5. Tools and software

To create immersive 360° videos, the right tools make all the difference. In this section, we introduce the key equipment and software needed throughout the production process—from capturing footage with 360° cameras to editing and adding interactive elements—helping you choose the solution that best fits your project and technical skills.

5.1. Level of technological development complexity

To select the appropriate tools and software, it is first necessary to determine the type of video to be produced. Table 2 presents the four types of 360° videos considered in this handbook, each involving a different level of complexity and requiring specific tools and software.

Table 2. Classification of 360° video types by level of editing and interactivity, with examples of suitable software.

5.2. 360° Camera: A Brief Market Overview

360° cameras are the starting point for creating high-quality immersive content. In recent years, this technology has evolved rapidly, making compact, high-resolution solutions accessible and simplifying post-production workflows. Table 3 provides a brief classification of the existing 360° cameras based on their intended use, image quality and level of professional application.

Table 3. Classification of 360° cameras by intended use, key features and software examples.

When selecting a 360° camera, you should consider the following:

• Effective resolution (at least 5.7K for high-quality immersive productions)
• Export compatibility with common creation and editing pipelines (Adobe, 3DVista, Unity and H5P)
• Optical stabilisation and exposure control in complex environments (e.g. noisy settings, underwater use, risk of impact or falling)

5.3. Editing software

The post-production of 360° content requires software capable of handling equirectangular formats, stitching correction, motion tracking and the integration of graphic elements consistent with spherical perspective. Depending on the project’s level of complexity, different classes of software can be distinguished, as reported in Table 4.

Table 4. Classification of 360° video editing software according to the level of complexity and use.

5.4. Software for producing interactive 360° videos

There are several software solutions for producing and managing 360° videos. Some focus on simplicity and accessibility (no-code/low-code), while others offer advanced development tools for building fully interactive environments. The choice of tool depends on the available technical expertise, the nature of the project and the desired level of interactivity. In this handbook, reference is made to 3DVista, and it was selected mainly because it is the software most used in the 360° video productions that were observed and analysed for the development of these guidelines. In any case, Table 5 provides an example list of possible software solutions.

Table 5. Software solutions for creating interactive 360° video content.

This learning unit is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, unless otherwise stated for specific content.