Case Study: Stanford Accelerator for Learning empowers student-created virtual field trips with ThingLink

Empowering Place-Based Learning Through Student Creation With Stanford’s Virtual Learning Resources

The Stanford Accelerator for Learning, a digital learning initiative at Stanford University, sought to move beyond simply using virtual field trips (VFTs) for student consumption. Their challenge was to empower students to become creators of their own immersive, place-based learning experiences, which required a platform that balanced powerful creative tools with ease of use and collaboration features for the classroom.

The vendor, ThingLink, provided its interactive media platform as the solution. The platform was selected for its collaborative features and ease of use, which gave students greater agency in their creative process. The results were highly positive; educators and students successfully created their own VFTs, with teachers reporting that the process helped students achieve a higher synthesis and analysis level of learning. ThingLink's tools enabled the development of valuable student skills in digital literacy and design thinking.

Stanford Accelerator for Learning

Rachel Wolf

Virtual Field Trips Project Team