Implementing 360 Video to Increase Immersion, Perceptual Capacity, and Teacher Noticing

Abstract

Although it is a relatively new innovation, 360 videos have gained commercial and public popularity. Given their novelty, there is a relative dearth of studies on their effectiveness. Most of the existing research is published as technical articles dealing with standards and specifications, as theoretical pieces promoting the potential value, or as descriptive experiences and resulting factors. Such work is arguably needed, but the field lacks deep research basis for justifying and clarifying the implementation of 360 video into practice. This article reports on a study exploring 360 videos for improving elementary mathematics teacher education. The results of the empirical study show improved immersion, presence, and video evaluation from using 360 video. Additionally, participants who viewed the videos on virtual reality headsets demonstrated increased attention to mathematical strategies in the context of teaching, demonstrating the potential usefulness of 360 headsets for perceptual capacity and teacher noticing.