Virtual tours are exactly what their name claims them to be. Instead of going to a museum, you could go online to the museum's website and "walk through" an exhibit; that would be considered a virtual tour. Virtual tours are a digital representation of a real exhibit, animal dissection, etc.
The pros of virtual tours:
1) They allow students to tour places for free and in less time.
2) Virtual tours are useful for reviewing something that has already been seen.
The cons of virtual tours:
1) They lack the hands-on aspect of real life.
2) Virtual tours are completely dependent on technology, if it fails then virtual tours cannot take place.
I like the idea of virtual tours because they have the possibility to expand my future student's horizons and give them experiences the school budget would not otherwise allow. They are a useful tool but should not be depended on for every occasion; in some circumstances real life, hands-on experiences are necessary.
Normally I would prefer an actual tour to a virtual one; however, some circumstances require their use. The need to use them can come during tough economic times and/or when an actual tour is just not possible. How else would you tour a cell or the solar system or a battle during the American Revolution?
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