ThingLink Webinars and News

• Core updates Add live student question tags Support for AI-based content creation Create 360 degree panoramic images Real-time integration of AR apps Multilingual support system • Educational innovation features Custom Scenario Builder 2.0 MetaQuest VR Compatibility Learner-tailored interface Real-time evaluation system Virtual Field Trip Tool Innovative editor meets AI ThingLink’s 2024 update sets a new standard for education platforms. The number of tags has been expanded from five to six, enabling real-time interaction between teachers and students. The AI-based content creation system drastically reduces teachers’ lesson preparation time, and automatically analyzes PDF documents to generate relevant tags. Innovations in AR and 360-degree technology The integration of augmented reality apps has broken down the walls of the classroom. Students can experience real-time AR content on their smartphones and intuitively understand abstract concepts. The Pano 2 360 function has opened up new possibilities for virtual field trips by allowing the creation of professional 360-degree panoramic content even with ordinary smartphones. Changes in the actual educational field The use cases in the educational field have also become diverse. Beauty schools have organized practical courses as interactive courses to improve students’ practical skills, and educational escape games have made learning a fun challenge. A virtual field trip program based on research at Stanford University has enabled real-time learning anywhere in the world. Building an inclusive learning environment Accessibility enhancements are at the heart of this update. The customizable interface for diverse learners is designed to ensure that all students have equal opportunities to learn, from font size adjustments to multilingual support. Real-time feedback and formative assessment systems allow you to effectively manage individual student progress.

Major Updates • New Scenario Builder 2.0 version released • AI-based automatic scenario generation from PDF documents • Multilingual support and language switching function • Mobile optimized interface • Customizable landing pages • Detailed learning analytics features • Supports VR headsets and AR apps ThingLink's New Leap ThingLink has evolved over 14 years from a simple image interaction tool to a comprehensive learning experience platform. It is widely used in education from K-12 to higher education, as well as in corporate training and communications. Features of the new scenario builder Scenario Builder 2.0 can automatically generate scenarios based on PDF documents using AI technology. Users upload PDFs and enter brief descriptions, and AI will suggest learning objectives and content areas and generate a branching scenario structure. Users can freely edit and customize the generated scenarios, and can utilize images or text suggested by AI. Effective scenario-based learning It is designed based on the core principles of scenario-based learning, the '5C' (Context, Challenge, Choices, Consequences, Contemplation). It provides learning from failure in a safe environment, active participation, personalized learning experiences, and contextual learning based on real situations. Improved accessibility and sharing features The new landing page feature allows users to create their own content hub. Scenarios and ThinLink scenes can be organized into playlists for sharing, and custom URLs can be set. It is accessible across a variety of devices, including mobile devices, VR headsets, and touchscreens, and integrates with learning management systems (LMS). Effective Learning Analytics Provides detailed analytics data such as scenario completion rates, learner paths, and assessment results. This enables verification of required training completion and high-level assessments, and enables more detailed learning record tracking through xAPI.

Key points: • Project management and educational expertise that form the basis of educational design • The need for learner-centered design and systematic problem-solving skills • The importance of utilizing educational technology tools and continuous self-development • Securing professional manpower and meeting the growing demand in the educational design market • Career development through participation in professional networks and certifications Experience of instructional design experts The careers of Dr. Sarah Dove and Jessica, both instructional design experts at Ohio State University, illustrate the many possibilities for transitioning into instructional design. Dr. Dove earned her PhD in dance theory and practice, while Jessica became an instructional design expert through data analysis and Italian language teaching. The Role and Challenges of Instructional Designers Instructional designers play a vital role in connecting instructors and learning implementation. They are responsible for a wide range of tasks, from HTML coding and operating learning management systems (LMSs) to project management and coordination of stakeholders. In particular, they plan and implement new projects, such as building virtual learning environments. The core of instructional design is 'backwards design'. This is a method of designing backwards from the goal and outcome before creating learning materials. For many educators, this approach is a new challenge. The biggest challenge in the field is implementing new designs within the limitations of the existing education system. Sometimes, a plan that has been studied and prepared with great effort may be difficult to implement due to system constraints, so the ability to creatively solve this problem is required. Real-world examples of new learning designs A case study of learning design using the ThingLink platform shows how instructional design can work in practice. Jessica introduced a “Choose Your Own Adventure” approach to her medieval women’s history class, allowing students to choose a historical figure of interest to study. Dr. Dove designed a structured learning experience for older learners with cognitive challenges. Using sequential numbering and consistent learning patterns, learners can follow a clear path while learning on their own. Preparing to Become an Instructional Design Professional Educators considering a transition to the field of instructional design need to prepare as follows. First, it is important to gain experience by using various educational technology tools directly. Technical skills such as HTML coding are also necessary. Second, expertise gained in the field of education is a great asset in instructional design. The ability to understand learning theory and systematically solve problems is also a core competency in instructional design. The instructional design market continues to grow. Especially with the growing importance of online learning after COVID-19, companies are investing in creating a real learning culture beyond formal education. This is leading to an increase in demand for instructional design experts. To develop your expertise, it is important to create a systematic portfolio. A portfolio created with a new tool like ThingLink can effectively demonstrate your expertise. Participating in professional networks and obtaining certifications are important elements of career development. Above all, the attitude of continuing to learn and try new things is the basis for success as an instructional design professional. Future Prospects The field of educational design continues to evolve with technological advancements and changes in learning methods. Based on their expertise in the field of education, we look forward to the challenges of experts who will open up new possibilities for educational design.

Key Features • Fusion of 360-degree images and AI technology • Building a scenario-based learning system • Effective linkage between real and virtual space • Integrated use of various media elements • Strengthening accessibility and inclusion • Realization of student participation projects Evolution of the ThingLink Platform ThingLink is an educational platform started 14 years ago by UL Maria Kiva, a PhD student at the University of Helsinki. His vision of “making everything a learning interface” is now realized through a combination of 360-degree media, AI, and digital twin technologies. With a recent logo refresh and progressive feature improvements, it is now a leader in the field of immersive learning. Innovative use cases from the University of Salford 1. Eyam Village History Experience Project Led by Dr. Leah Green and Dr. Anna Cooper Ryan, the project is a contemporary reimagining of the town of Eyam during the Black Death in 1665. Previously, students visited the site in person, but due to accessibility issues, this was replaced with an on-campus activity, which was innovatively improved through ThingLink. How to implement: Creating 360-degree images of a 17th-century village using Skybox AI Edit images for historical accuracy with Adobe Express Hey gen AI creates historical figure avatars Storytelling using ThingLink's tagging feature Simultaneous provision of audio narration and subtitles Linking real-world photos with AI-generated images Screen reader support for accessibility 2. “Sepsis on the Beach” Nursing Education Simulation Developed by Professor Maria Fel, this project provides a scenario-based learning experience for nursing students. Implementation details: A progressive story consisting of 4 chapters

• Game-based learning design to escape boring classes • Immersive classroom implemented as a 360-degree virtual space • Quizzes and problem-solving courses that students will love • Customized difficulty settings to ensure every student succeeds • Escape game content easily created with AI The magic of turning lessons into games Digital escape games are not just fun, they are powerful educational tools. ThingLink and Quizizz have joined forces to make educational escape games like professional game creators. The way students solve quizzes in a 360-degree virtual space and advance to the next level draws active participation from students and naturally improves their problem-solving skills. Of particular note is accessibility. Students can participate anytime and anywhere with their smartphones, tablets, and laptops without a VR headset, so all students have equal learning opportunities. In the classroom, they can work together on a large screen to develop teamwork, and on their own devices, they can challenge themselves at their own pace. Difficulty settings are also free. By designing a structure that builds confidence with easy problems at first and gradually makes them more difficult, you can reduce students’ frustration and increase their sense of accomplishment. The AI function automatically generates various types of problems, and provides detailed explanations for incorrect problems and the opportunity to try again. How to Make an Escape Game Anyone Can Make Creating the perfect background Create virtual spaces with ThingLink's 360-degree image creation tool Create realistic backgrounds with photos of actual classrooms or historic sites Edit images with Canva to create the atmosphere you want Designing interesting problems Take advantage of Quizizz's variety of question types Automatically generate multiple choice, subjective, and matching questions using AI Maximize learning effectiveness with friendly explanations for incorrect answers Step by step connection Conditional movement to proceed to the next room only when the answer is correct Provide appropriate assistance with hint system Motivation with rewards upon final escape Tips for running a successful escape game Create a storyline that aligns with your lesson objectives

• Students create their own virtual field trips • Learning experiences that connect real-world spaces with abstract concepts • Improve collaboration, critical thinking, and digital literacy skills • A process in which teachers and students learn together • Flexible tools applicable to a variety of educational contexts A New Paradigm for Virtual Field Learning: From Consumption to Creation This innovative approach, introduced by Stanford University professor Rachel Wolf, transforms students from consumers to creators of virtual field trips . In a departure from traditional methods, this new model gives students the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, teach others new things, and share places or spaces that are important to them. Intuitive tools like ThingLink empower students to take charge of their own learning , creating an experience that goes beyond a simple presentation medium to one where other students can interact and extend their learning. Why Educators Should Pay Attention The greatest benefit of this approach is that it can significantly increase student engagement and learning effectiveness . Educators report that this approach offers several benefits beyond simply using technology: Authentic learning : Students gain deeper understanding through a ‘learn by doing’ process. Leverage the strengths of the digital native generation : Students learn new technologies quickly and use them creatively. Promotes higher-order thinking : Improves holistic thinking skills during information selection, layout, and interaction design. Collaborative learning : A process in which teachers and students learn new skills and methods together. Tips for practical application The Stanford research team has refined this approach over three years of research, working with more than 10 teachers and 300 students . The result is a step-by-step guide that educators can follow: Introducing the concept of virtual field trips : Introducing students to this new form of learning experience. Provide time to learn the skills : Before starting a full-scale project, provide students with time to learn the skills without pressure. Set a clear task : Clarify the purpose and topic of the virtual field trip your students will create. Integrating the Design Thinking Process : Guides students to design with user experience in mind. Sharing and Feedback : Take time to share your finished work and give each other feedback. Support Materials for Educators The Stanford team provides a variety of support materials to help educators adopt this approach , which are freely available on the vft.stanford.edu website: Educator Planning Guide : Step-by-Step Guide to Project Design Lesson Plan : Detailed lesson operation method for each step

Introducing the latest features and sharing cutting-edge learning research results Date: Thursday, September 19, 2024, 1:00 - 2:00 AM (Korean time) Webinar Registration Link Webinar Overview This webinar will introduce the latest features of ThingLink and how to use it in education. We will also share effective ways to use ThingLink based on the latest research results from the Stanford University Center for Educational Innovation. Key Contents Introducing new ThingLink features Detailed description of recently released features Utilization in educational settings Stanford University Research Results Announced Study Results on Learning Effectiveness Using ThingLink Case Study on Writing a Virtual Field Trip Report Share Educator Use Cases Examples of ThingLink usage in various subjects Practical Applications to Improve Student Engagement Q&A session Expert answers to participants' questions About the presenter Lewis Jones: Senior Community Manager, ThingLink Claudia Pisanotti: ThingLink Certified Trainer

Our ThingLink team is excited to be back at ISTE in Denver, Colorado! Here are some of the key topics and highlights we’d like to share with you at the event. 1. Latest news from ThingLink ThingLink’s immersive content creation tools have evolved to the next level. Now, you can go beyond simple image annotation and virtual tour creation to transform any digital or physical space into an interactive learning experience. Virtual field trips and simulations give students access to real-world environments on any device, and add digital layers to physical objects in the real world. Our goals remain unchanged: Making digital learning experiences interactive Making real-world situations digitally accessible to support learning Provide students with new ways to self-express, achieve learning outcomes, and develop essential digital skills Developing tools to save teachers' time Provides immersive learning accessibility across all devices, platforms, and languages 2. The importance of student-led content creation Virtual field trips and other immersive learning experiences provide students with engaging and meaningful contexts that help them understand, remember, and apply new information. But the learning opportunities don’t stop there! By providing students with immersive content creation tools, they can transition from being mere consumers to creators, engaging in higher-order cognitive tasks like analysis and problem solving. Examples of student-led projects: Learning Process Records (Arts & Crafts, Outdoor Projects) Digital Storytelling Escape room game creation Virtual Field Trip The Stanford University Graduate School of Education is conducting research on how creating and sharing virtual field trips (VFTs) impacts learning, and which specific features lead to better learning. The research team has created an open VFT resource guide that includes materials for students and educators to support VFT design. 3. Higher and Vocational Education: Developing context-based skills in mixed reality environments The process of developing technical, operational, and social skills is greatly enhanced when students have access to real-world environments where they can observe or practice real-world situations. Many vocational and higher education institutions plan to incorporate immersive courses into their curricula in the coming academic year. At ThingLink, AI is already powering the creation of learning content in a number of ways: Basic Media Production

We had a webinar on how to create a digital escape room game. We explained in detail how to build a digital escape room game using the ThingLink platform. ThingLink provides an interactive learning environment, and recently added new features such as AI-assisted generation, augmented reality, and mixed reality headsets. The webinar showed how to use these features to create an immersive escape room game. Creating an escape room game requires thorough planning. It is important to create a planning document that includes the game's theme, learning objectives, target group, format, time limit, structure type, etc. You can use ThingLink's 'Guided Mode' and 'Locked Mode' to guide the learning, and use conditional transition tags to set up the next step only when the correct answer to a specific question is entered. You can also use a variety of third-party tools to create puzzles and quizzes and embed them in ThingLink to enrich the learning experience. Use Google Forms to assess learning outcomes and encourage students to work together to solve problems. Digital escape games are effective in increasing students’ learning motivation and improving their problem-solving and collaboration skills. Create your own digital escape game using ThingLink and a variety of tools. Guide to Creating a Digital Escape Room Game 1. Introducing ThingLink ThingLink is a tool for creating interactive learning environments, offering a variety of learning experiences including digital escape games. Recently, ThingLink has added new features such as AI-assisted generation, augmented reality, and mixed reality headsets, allowing users to create more immersive content. 2. Preparation for creating an escape room game Create a planning document: Create a planning document that includes the theme, learning objectives, target group, format, time limit, purpose, and type of structure for your escape room game. This will help you organize all the information you need during the game creation process. 3. Game Creation Using ThingLink Image Generation: Generate 360-degree images and regular images using ThingLink's AI capabilities. The generated images are used as backgrounds for the game. Add tags: You can use ThingLink's 'Guide Mode' and 'Lock Mode' to guide your learning by following specific tags. You can also use conditional transition tags to require the correct answer to a specific question before you can proceed to the next step. 4. Use third-party tools Puzzle and Quiz Generator: Create puzzles and quizzes to insert into your games using a variety of puzzle generators, newspaper article generators, fake text message generators, and more. These tools will enrich your learning experience. Google Forms: Use Google Forms to assess learning outcomes from games. You can have students enter information they collect from the game into a form and then give them a task to write a speech to get the final key. 5. Game Design Tips Immersive Scenarios: Design each scene of the game to be immersive. Use situational descriptions and sensory descriptions to help learners immerse themselves in the game. Set clear goals: Set tasks that align with learning objectives so students have a clear goal as they progress through the game. Collaboration and Problem Solving: Encourage students to work together to solve problems. This helps learners develop their collaboration and problem-solving skills.

Jessica Henson and Sarah Dove, instructional designers at Ohio State University, help faculty across a variety of departments transition from face-to-face classes to online environments. They help with LMS coding, visual graphic design, and video editing in areas such as art history, second language acquisition, math, and science. Jessica and Sarah worked with an English instructor to redesign assignments to accommodate the increasing use of generative AI in student writing assignments. The instructor was already breaking down engaging lecture videos into smaller segments and delivering them via ThingLink scenes within her LMS. ThingLink introduces a new feature called ‘Lock Mode’ to improve the interactive learning experience by requiring learners to click on the current tag before moving on to the next tag. Jessica and Sarah developed an immersive digital escape room game using themes from Frankenstein and Jekyll and Hyde to teach students about the opium crisis in Victorian London. Some scenes were accompanied by Jessica’s piano accompaniment to enhance the immersion. We designed a variety of Excel puzzles that require students to rewatch lecture videos to find clues, and removed key identifiers to make it difficult to easily find the answers through online searches. Innovative Applications of ThingLink in Education Jessica and Sarah created an escape room activity for their Sherlock Holmes-based literature course where students had to solve puzzles using clues from lecture videos and course content. Sarah presented an AR app used in an exhibition of works by disabled artists, allowing visitors to take a guided tour of the gallery space in 360 degrees. Jessica designed an immersive lab safety exercise with ThingLink, allowing students to move around a virtual lab space, exploring different sections and learning safety rules. ThingLink’s AI capabilities make it easier to quickly generate images, making it easier to create immersive learning experiences, while ThingLink’s accessibility is highlighted as a key benefit. Early feedback from students about the escape room activity was very positive, with one student expressing gratitude. Qualitative data on the effectiveness of the safety tour versus PDF was mentioned, but the integration of quantitative feedback via emojis was also suggested. We have a webinar coming up that will take you step-by-step through building a digital escape room over the next two weeks. We will provide tips and guidance for building an escape room using ThingLink. Jessica, Sarah, and Claudia are all ThingLink Certified Trainers and can conduct webinars or receive support as part of the Certified Trainer Program. Finally, the ThingLink team would like to thank Jessica, Sarah, and all of the webinar participants for sharing their innovative practices, and encouraged them to stay in touch and participate in the ThingLink community in the future. #Ohio State University, #immersive learning, #ThingLink, #higher education innovation, #digital escape room game, #AR app, #instructional designer, #online education, #LMS, #generative AI, #writing assignment, #interactive learning, #Excel puzzle, #Sherlock Holmes, #literature course, #disabled artist, #art exhibition, #AR guided tour, #lab safety practice, #AI image generation, #accessibility, #webinar, #step-by-step escape room production, #ThingLink certified trainer, #ThingLink community, #educational innovation case, #innovative teaching method, #distance education, #edutech, #interactive learning, #gamification, #practical learning, #TeachingWithThingLink

ThingLink is about to release a new version that goes beyond the limitations of the existing scenario builder. This update is expected to greatly improve the scenario creation environment. The biggest change is the integration with the image-generating AI tool Dall-E. The new scenario builder will allow you to create 2D images directly using Dall-E’s amazing image-generating capabilities. This is expected to further enhance the creativity of content creation. It also makes it possible to build large-scale scenarios. Previously, there were stability issues when the number of blocks increased, but with the new version, even complex scenarios consisting of hundreds of blocks can be built stably. There have also been improvements in terms of convenience. A locked viewing mode has been added, allowing learners to view icons sequentially. The translation function has also been automated, so that you only need to select the translation word. ThingLink's new scenario builder is scheduled for release in mid-July. This update will provide a more creative and convenient scenario creation environment.

Embedding is a function that inserts external content into another web page or platform so that the content can be viewed directly. For example, it is used to directly display YouTube videos, Google maps, surveys, etc. on another web page. ThingLink allows you to integrate various multimedia content into one interactive image or video through this embedding function. In this article, we will briefly introduce how to embed content in ThingLink and practical use cases. Embed various content ThingLink allows you to embed a variety of content, including: Chatbots : You can add custom chatbots to enable real-time communication with your users through a conversational interface. Video Feedback : Get a variety of opinions by collecting video feedback or crowdsourcing video contributions. Interactive Mind Maps : Collaborate with your team members to create and share interactive mind maps. Data Collection and Surveys : You can collect and analyze data through various surveys and quizzes. Music and Podcasts : Enhance your user experience by adding music or podcasts that fit your scene. Simple embedding method Embedding content into ThingLink is very simple: Copy the embed code from the source of the content you want to embed (e.g. YouTube, Google Maps, etc.). Open the ThingLink editor and select the image or video you want to embed. After selecting the 'Add Tags' option, select 'Embed Code'. Enter the copied embed code and save it. Real-world use cases See how you can integrate a variety of content with real-world examples of ThingLink using the embed feature. For example, you can add video lectures to your educational materials or embed Google Maps in your travel blog to visually show your travel route. These are great ways to increase engagement and interactivity with your content using ThingLink. Use ThingLink to easily embed various multimedia content and provide richer digital experiences. Various functions will help users access more interesting and useful content.

Are you an educator, instructional designer, or higher education professional? If you are looking for innovative ways to engage your students, join our upcoming webinar, Exploring Immersive Digital Learning in Higher Education. This comprehensive session will explore a variety of immersive learning experiences, including virtual tours, escape rooms, interactive labs, and augmented reality galleries. Joining us for this webinar are Sarah Dove and Jessica Henderson, instructional design experts from The Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences! We will also be covering a previous case study from OSU College of Arts and Sciences! 📅 Date: Wednesday, June 5th ⏰ Time: 1:00 AM (KST) 📍 Location: YouTube Live What you'll get from the webinar: Understanding Immersive Learning: You will gain a deeper understanding of the different immersive learning experiences and their impact on higher education. Explore Virtual Tours: Learn how to create virtual tours that provide engaging and interactive learning experiences for your students. Introduction to Digital Escape Rooms: Learn the basic concepts of digital escape rooms and how they enhance students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Escape rooms themed around Sherlock Holmes and the Victorian opium crisis are particularly impressive! Implementing Interactive Labs and Accessible AR Galleries: Discover how to integrate interactive labs and augmented reality galleries into your curriculum and the benefits they bring. Don’t miss this opportunity! Whether you want to transform your teaching methods with immersive digital learning, increase student engagement, improve learning outcomes, or explore new educational tools, this webinar will provide you with the insights and inspiration you need. We are thrilled to welcome you! Even if you can't attend, you will still receive the recording and all the valuable materials we will share!