Durham Sixth Form geographers visit the IHRR for an Oman 3165 (Mark Evans MBE kayaking trip down the coastline of Oman) virtual reality lesson

The Durham IHRR and School of Education welcomed Year 12 geography students from Durham Sixth Form College for an afternoon visit on Friday 12 December.

The session formed part of the educational Oman 3165 project, which aims to raise awareness of marine environments and conservation issues in the lead-up to the first Oceans’ COP in 2030. As part of this collaboration, the IHRR is supporting the collection of 360-degree imagery along the Omani coastline to develop immersive teaching and outreach resources.

Friday’s session marked the first pilot use of these materials in a formal educational setting. Using the IHRR’s suite of 13 VR headsets, students explored 360-degree photographs captured during the Oman 3165 expedition by Mark Evans MBE. The immersive tour and accompanying discussion were curated and facilitated by Elizabeth Follows, a Geography Fellow at Durham University.

Guided discussions encouraged students to engage critically with a range of geographical themes visible in the footage, including coastal landform processes, sources of marine pollution, hazard identification, and urban vulnerability. The session also prompted reflection on the growing role of emerging technologies such as VR in geographical fieldwork, research, and education.

Student engagement throughout the session was strong, with participants contributing thoughtful questions and observations. The IHRR hopes to build on this pilot by hosting further VR-based outreach sessions in the coming year.

The session was supported by IHRR Director Bruce Malamud, Deputy Executive Dean for the Faculty of Social Sciences and Health Catherine Montgomery and Director of CPD/Professional Development Catherine Reading, with technical assistance provided by Tianlin Yang.