NOTEBOOK: Simpson lures students with new virtual reality app
PERRY BEEMAN Aug 2, 2016 | 7:44 pm
2 min read time
498 wordsBusiness Record Insider, The Insider NotebookSimpson College has crafted a 3-D virtual reality experience using specially made paperboard viewfinders and a free phone app, an unusual play in the increasingly stiff competition for students.
I tried the system from the friendly confines of my living room last night. I quickly downloaded Simpson’s new app (get it at the App Store) and placed my iPhone into the viewfinder, which has special lenses and is the size of a small brick.
The software lets you choose from among five videos by clicking a camera-style button on the top of the device. A short narration stresses Simpson’s strengths, describing the scene at the same time.
I first selected the one showing a pole vaulter approaching the pit and clearing the bar. In my case, he started running at about the garage door, passed through the living room and landed halfway down the steps to the basement. My dog, Carly, probably wondered why I was contorting my head so strangely.
This morning, I had my newsroom colleagues take the system for a spin. They were impressed and I enjoyed watching them turn in circles and move their heads up and down to take in the full view.
The scenes also wowed Simpson President Jay Simmons and some current Simpson students. Simpson sent me videos of those on-campus trial runs.
Jill Johnson, Simpson’s vice president for marketing and public relations, said the school’s challenge is to stand out during Private College Week, when prospective students fan out to have look at campuses. In Simpson’s case, the week of visits, which started Monday, usually brings in 350 or so students.
“We thought it would be good to provide them with a virtual experience,” Johnson said. “First, it would make Simpson stand out. Second, they can take it home. Third, they can show it to their family and friends.”
Simpson ordered about 600 of the viewers. The school will give the extras to high school counselors and others who can spread the word.
In addition to the soaring pole vaulter, scenes include doings at the science building, a tour of campus, the fitness center and a play rehearsal in an auditorium.
The technology isn’t new. Johnson said real estate agents and architects use it to show properties, for example. But she’s banking that not many universities or colleges have taken Simpson’s approach.
A Connecticut firm made the digital images with 10 GoPro cameras before stitching the files together. The viewers came from another country.
“We pride ourselves on looking ahead and trying to be out there,” Johnson said. “We try to meet the students on a platform they are using.”
You’ll still find a Simpson banner hanging in Jordan Creek mall, another student hangout. But Simpson, and other schools, are finding TV and radio ads aren’t as effective as they once were. So Simpson is doubling down on social media plays and, now, virtual reality, Johnson said.
We wish we could show you what this looks like here, but you need the viewfinder.
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