The demand for more engaging learning solutions soars and organizations turn to create digital twins of their products, processes, and facilities. To respond, the innovative interactive media platform, ThingLink, introduces a new scenario builder for quickly creating gamified 360-degree and 3D immersive learning experiences for any platform including virtual reality (VR).
The ThingLink Scenario Builder is an authoring tool for recreating real-life learning environments and situations in the cloud using interactive media. Developed along with the principles of Scenario-Based Learning (SBL), it allows educators to combine 2D, 3D, and 360-degree media into branched scenarios where learners can choose their path and move through a structured learning experience, exploring content, answering questions, and collecting points.
For ThingLink, the new Scenario Builder product is a logical next step in expanding towards the enterprise eLearning market.
ThingLink has pioneered developing dynamic hyperlinking technology for interactive media assets, immersive spaces, and virtual learning environments — unlike any other technology available.
After introducing rich media annotation for images in 2011, ThingLink expanded to support video annotation (2014), 360-degree image annotation (2016), 360-degree video annotation (2019), and earlier this year, 3D model annotation -- all from the same interface.
The ThingLink Scenario Builder makes it possible to organize these assets into branched learning scenarios that include:
- Choices
- Checkpoints
- Questions
- Data Collection
In addition, ThingLink has made these experiences easy to integrate into modern learning systems and communication tools such as Microsoft Teams.
“Virtual tours, field trips, and VR games are more engaging than slideshows and video conferences, but they are not automatically the same as structured, personalized, trackable -and fun- learning experiences. This is why we developed the ThingLink Scenario Builder”, says ThingLink’s founder and CEO, Ulla-Maaria Koivula. “ThingLink Scenario Builder is a creator tool for developing next-generation learning experiences from the real world to the metaverse.”
Three key aspects set ThingLink Scenario Builder apart from other scenario tools on the market:
- ThingLink’s solution supports using multiple visual assets: images, videos, 360-degree media, 3D models, and spaces, including digital twins. The result is a more prosperous, immersive learning experience compared to text-based or 2D single-media scenarios.
- ThingLink Scenario Builder introduces a super-simple interface for managing the structure of the learning experience. To add a new scene, a choice, a checkpoint, or a shortcut, it’s as simple as clicking a plus sign.
- Native integration with ThingLink multimedia editor for adding rich annotations to any part of the scenario. This means that whether you decide to take the learner through a series of videos, slides, 3D models, or virtual tours, you can add extra information, links, tips, voice instructions, or transitions to any of these scenes along the way.
Virtual simulations introduce several benefits for business and educational organizations. It helps save time and money in logistics. When people can do mandatory safety drills and workplace orientation online, there are fewer costs involved in transportation, lodging, meals, and conference rooms.
Recent studies have also shown that immersive learning environments and interactive activities are multiple times more likely to help students learn it compared to traditional classroom learning or MOOCs.
Virtual learning environments and simulations also make learning and development accessible for anyone, anyway, and under various life circumstances.
Want to start building learning simulations for employees? Learn more by visiting this page and contacting our team!