CREATING INEXPENSIVE AND INTERACTIVE ONLINE EXPERIENCES FOR SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATION

The rapid pace of technological advancement can dissuade many from venturing into creating educational online experiences, and the increased desire for greater production values by online audiences can lead to many scientifically sound projects to be passed over. Additionally, the act of gathering and maintaining an online audience can be a difficult task for many in the field of science education and outreach. With the advancement of technology though, many inexpensive and user-friendly avenues have opened up for science educators to create engaging online experiences. Three avenues in particular have gained popularity with the online community for their ability to produce high quality projects for little-to-no cost and almost no previous experience on the part of the creator. These avenues are virtual reality, augmented reality, and app development. Programs to produce such content, such as Google Cardboard, have made it incredibly easy for science educators to make educational online experiences readily available that can appeal to the current needs of the online community.