On the 13th of March, the MA Technology, Creativity and Thinking students went on a trip to the Plymouth Market Hall, which is home to an awe-inspiring 15-meter-high immersive dome that redefines what it means to experience film and video. Our visit was made even more special by the presence of Laura Adams, one of our very own students and the Innovation and Inclusion Lead at Real Immersive. Laura gave us an insider’s tour of all the facilities they provide.
We began the afternoon with a coffee and cake in the lovely café, followed by a tour and exploration of the Plymouth Market Hall. This is a historic building, which, quite recently has been completely restored for community use, with meeting rooms, collaborative spaces and a variety of technological facilities.
The Market Hall interior (photo by Daniel Han)
At the heart of our visit was the Immersive Dome, an expansive circular space where sound and visuals converge to create a breathtaking 360-degree experience. We all set down on beanbags, and surrendered ourselves to the immersive environment, where films and soundscapes enveloped us. The dome’s applications extend beyond mere entertainment; we saw how it supports local school science projects and enriches arts projects. We also explored how Laura is using the immersive space to foster inclusive practices for children with special educational needs (SEND).
Laura explaining the technology behind the full-dome experience (photo by Judith Kleine Staarman)
Short clip of an immersive film about the rainforest
We reflected on the potentials for 360-degree immersive technologies and experiences in education, and explored what benefits such experiences may have for learning. While full-dome technology is obviously not feasible for every school, there are strong connections with other immersive technologies (such as Virtual Reality) that we had already explored in our teaching sessions, which highlighted the potential for enhancing student engagement and understanding through fully immersive digital worlds.
Several MA Technology, Creativity and Thinking students outside the Plymouth Market Hall (photo by Judith Kleine Staarman)
To finish off our experience and to prepare us mentally for our journey back to Exeter, we immersed ourselves in the music and accompanying visuals of Pink Floyd. We thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to hear more about this cutting-edge facility and to experience 360-degree immersive technology for ourselves. We hope to make the Immersive Dome an annual field trip for our MA Technology and Education Futures programme in years to come.
Short clip of Pink Floyd’s song ‘Breathe (in the air)’ with 360-degree visuals