According to Webopedia, a virtual tour is defined as:
A panoramic view or video simulation of an existing place that can be viewed online, often for travel or vacation-related research. A virtual tour is usually a collection of panoramic images that are played in sequence to view like a moving video with added sound and text effects, or a virtual tour may use models in place of real-life video and images. A virtual your is designed to give the viewer a more life-like 3D view of the location being presented in the tour. Virtual tours are also popular in the real estate industry where a realistic 3D view of a home or property can be presented to interested purchasers. A virtual tour may also be called a panoramic tour.
I believe that a virtual tour can be a tour of anything, from a geographical place to an internet website.
In the classroom I will use virtual tours to show my students just about anything. In geography I can take my students on a virtual tour of the white house or almost anywhere that my curriculum is talking about at the time.
One pro for using virtual tours is that they are easily accessible. One con is that it could make teachers and students lazy. In the future classes will take virtual tours instead of field trips.
I don't think virtual tours will ever replace the real thing, but they sure are a good supplement!
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