There is a growing need in the Education Abroad profession to create new strategies that facilitate the internationalization of students and curricula. Internationalization in higher education is a critical area of development. As Knight (2004) notes, there is a necessity for innovative strategies to integrate international perspectives into student experiences and curricula. This is echoed in a comprehensive report by De Wit et al. (2015), which explores current trends and future directions in the internationalization of higher education. With only a fraction of students who physically study, work, or intern abroad, institutions work hard each year to excite more students to travel during their tenure at the university. But, professionals and faculty also realize that more students on their campuses will not have the opportunity to travel and yet must be exposed to global concepts in their general education and their disciplines. In the 2021–2022 academic year, only 188, 753 US students studied abroad, which is about 1% of the total US higher education population. This number represents less than 10% of US college graduates, indicating that a significant majority of students do not engage in study abroad programs during their college tenure. Institutions are working diligently to increase these numbers, as studying abroad is seen as a critical component of a comprehensive education that prepares students for global citizenship and competitiveness in the international job market. These are traditional and long-standing challenges. Since the global pandemic, new realities are beginning to surface that drive this need for new strategies for internationalization, including war and social conflict in many regions, increased programming costs due to inflation across many nations, the associated increased costs of air transportation since the pandemic, and growing sensitivity to elective travel due to carbon footprints and their impact on global climate change (NAFSA 2023). This creates a dilemma for faculty, staff, and institutions—how do we provide high-impact teaching and enhanced learning about global issues if it becomes too costly, too dangerous, or too inefficient to travel? While research collaboration and co-teaching with overseas partners have been enhanced since the pandemic with global adoption of videoconferencing technologies, this, to us, is not a substitute for traveling and experiencing different environments and cultures. Frankly, from our experience, there is no substitute for this kind of travel. While intra-continental choices can be made, such as train travel fueled by renewable energy to minimize impacts like carbon buildup and climate change, intercontinental travel remains a challenge. Institutions are increasingly investing in “Internationalization at Home” initiatives to provide students with global learning experiences without leaving their home country. These initiatives include on-campus international activities, virtual exchange programs, and collaborative online international learning, which help students gain international competencies and become globally agile graduates (Universities UK 2022; IIE Education Power 2024). At Auburn University, we have begun to explore the use of 360° video to provide the immersive environment needed for high-impact experiential learning outside the classroom. According to Evens et al. (2023), 360° video serves as a powerful educational tool, offering design guidelines that ensure effective implementation and maximizing educational impact. Such technology enhances the static collaborations we use today through collaborative online international learning (COIL) efforts that started in the 2000s. COIL involves virtual exchanges where students and faculty from different countries collaborate online on shared projects. While effective, traditional COIL is limited to 2D interactions via video calls, emails, and shared documents. In contrast, 360° video allows for a more immersive environment and augmented-reality approach to experiencing an international setting. This means that students can virtually visit and interact with foreign locations, cultures, and environments in a much more engaging and realistic way. Faculty using the 360° experience can create and guide students through their teaching content and materials to confront, interpret, and reflect on the cultural and environmental differences they experience (Cinnamon et al. 2023). True immersion on-site allows for the use of multiple senses to interpret surroundings, and some of these senses are difficult, if not impossible, to utilize without physical presence. The choices that we describe in this article illustrate how an instructor can compensate for the shortcomings of limited travel, recognizing that the technology of today will never really substitute for actual travel. 360° video is an emerging technology that has gained popularity in recent years, especially in the field of education. Zhao et al. 2020 suggests that immersive virtual reality (VR) technology holds significant potential in enhancing STEM education, offering benefits such as improved cognitive abilities, personalized learning experiences, and increased student enthusiasm. While acknowledging challenges such as cost and content development, Zhao et al. encourage educators to integrate VR into classrooms, emphasizing its potential to complement teaching traditional methods and ignite student curiosity and imagination. Such technology offers video with a unique and immersive learning experience that can be both synchronous and asynchronous. Synchronous education is a real-time teaching modality where the instructor and students are online simultaneously. In this mode, 360° video can create an enriched learning experience for students because they are embedded in the environment along with the instructor, just as if they were present on-site. For instance, immersive live streaming of surgery using 360° video to head-mounted virtual reality devices has been shown to revolutionize surgical education by providing real-time, detailed views of procedures, enhancing the learning experience (Gandsas et al. 2023). Additionally, the student experience is enhanced in real-time, just as if they were on a tour or field trip as part of their usual class. Examples in this mode are easy to understand, and interesting uses for 360° video in synchronous education would be in field experiences, in disciplines like archaeology, which we are beginning to see in the literature (Njerekai et al. 2020). Students can join a live video conference call with a professional archaeologist who uses a 360° camera to show them around a specific site. Instruction is as it would be if all were present, and questions and answers would be in real-time, synchronously addressing needs, conditions, and ideas. In modern educational settings, engineering or building science students can engage in virtual reality simulations of complex projects using 360° video (Mojtahedi et al. 2020). Through the use of smartphones or virtual reality headsets, students can immerse themselves in a 360° view of a construction site, enhancing their understanding of the construction process. Today, 360° video technology is also employed by real estate agents to showcase rental offices and living spaces to potential customers who are unable to visit in person. Similar examples can be found across many academic disciplines, wherever field examples or experiential learning techniques are utilized. Asynchronous education is a mode of teaching where the instructor and students are not online at the same time. In this mode, 360° video can be used to create self-paced learning modules (Harrington et al. 2018). In geology, for instance, students can use 360° video to participate in virtual field trips to geological sites worldwide (Cho et al. 2020). For example, a 360° camera can be used to explore the Grand Canyon, allowing students to observe different rock layers and learn about the geological history of the area. History students can also benefit from 360° video in asynchronous education by using a phone or virtual reality headset to experience a 360° view of famous historical landmarks of Spain such as the Alhambra in Granada, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, or the Royal Palace of Madrid. They can learn about the history and significance of each location, and even take virtual tours of ancient cities like Toledo and Segovia. This immersive asynchronous learning experience provides students with a more flexible and personalized way of learning, allowing them to pause and rewind the video to review difficult concepts. An instructor can subsequently add features in post-processing to enhance learning, such as voice-over audio to guide the students through the experience in a 360° format (‘now look over your right shoulder to see…’) and also labels and tags to identify specific needs in the image as well as guiding the student to look in a specific direction by default, even though the student can look all around in 360° (e. g. , following a moving object, not looking at the instructor) (Feng et al. 2019). 360° video cameras capture video from all directions using multiple lenses, creating fully immersive experiences for viewers. The cameras use fisheye lenses to capture a wide-angle view, and the images from each lens are digitally stitched together using specialized software to create a seamless 360° view. There are two types of 360° video cameras: monoscopic and stereoscopic. Monoscopic cameras capture a single image that is projected onto a 360° sphere, while stereoscopic cameras capture two images from slightly different angles to create a 3D effect. Popular software tools for stitching 360° videos include Adobe Premiere Pro, VideoStitch, Pano2VR, and Kolor Autopano Video. Some 360° cameras, such as the Insta360 ONE R, Ricoh Theta V, and GoPro MAX, have built-in software for stitching footage together. However, the software embedded in the camera may have limited capabilities compared to professional stitching software, which offers advanced features like color correction, stabilization, and dynamic stitching. Once the stitching process is complete, the 360° video can be viewed on compatible devices such as virtual reality headsets, smartphones, laptops, and tablets. Users can move their device around to explore the virtual environment from any angle, just as if they were on-site. 360° cameras have gained popularity in recent years due to their ability to capture immersive video that allows viewers to look around and explore the scene. However, not all 360° cameras are created equal, and there are significant differences between cameras designed for professional-grade videographers and those that are geared towards amateur or hobbyist use. Professional-grade 360° cameras typically offer higher quality image and audio, more advanced stitching software, wider dynamic range, and additional features such as GPS and gyroscopic stabilization. These cameras are designed for videographers who need to create high-quality content and require advanced features and capabilities. The additional features of professional-grade cameras, such as GPS and gyroscopic stabilization, can help to create more immersive and engaging 360° video, though the cost is high for education. Amateur or hobbyist 360° cameras, on the other hand, are more affordable and user-friendly but may not offer the same level of quality or features as professional-grade cameras. These cameras are typically designed for casual users who want to capture 360° footage for personal use or for social media. While they may not have the same level of quality as professional-grade cameras, they are more accessible to the average user and offer a more cost-effective way to capture 360° footage. More importantly for education, they are much more portable and can be mounted on a tripod or used with a selfie-stick type of application. When international institutions decide on which type of 360° camera to use, financial and cultural considerations play a significant role. Many institutions, particularly in developing countries, face budget constraints that make the high cost of professional-grade cameras prohibitive. In such cases, the affordability and user-friendliness of amateur cameras provide a feasible alternative, allowing these institutions to incorporate immersive video technology without excessive financial strain. Cultural factors also influence these decisions. In regions where advanced technology is less prevalent, users may be more familiar and comfortable with consumer-grade equipment. Additionally, institutions with a focus on making education accessible to a broad audience may prioritize the use of amateur cameras to align with cultural values emphasizing accessibility and democratization of technology. Furthermore, the maintenance and technical support required for professional-grade cameras can be challenging in areas with limited access to specialized knowledge, making amateur cameras a more practical choice. In summary, the selection between professional-grade and amateur 360° cameras for international institutions is guided by a complex interplay of financial constraints and cultural considerations, each institution weighing these factors based on their specific needs and context. At Auburn University, we have been experimenting with the Insta360 One R and Ricoh Theta V cameras for recording and live streaming 360° video for educational purposes. The Insta360 One R is a modular camera that allows for interchangeable lenses and sensors, capturing 5. 7K resolution video at 30 frames per second (https: //www. insta360. com/product/insta360-oner₁inch-edition). It uses two wide-angle lenses to provide the 360° view and features advanced image stabilization, a wide dynamic range, and a built-in GPS system for geotagging footage. With an IPX8 waterproof rating, it can be used in challenging environments. The Ricoh Theta V, on the other hand, is a compact camera that captures 4K resolution video at 30 frames per second, also using two wide-angle lenses to provide a 360° field of view. It includes a built-in microphone to capture spatial audio (https: //us. ricoh-imaging. com/product/theta-v/). It also features advanced image processing and a built-in gyroscopic stabilizer. Both cameras have post-processing capabilities for enhancing the quality of 360° video footage after recording, such as color, exposure, and stabilization adjustments. Third-party software like Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro can also be used for more advanced editing for asynchronous applications. These features create more engaging videos for remote education and collaboration. The Insta360 One R's advanced features make it a versatile option for amateurs and professionals, while the Ricoh Theta V's compact size and user-friendly interface make it a popular choice for casual users and educators. The choice between these cameras will depend on the specific needs and budget of the user. 360° video live streaming demands robust technical specifications to ensure a seamless experience. The Insta360 One R and Ricoh Theta V cameras necessitate firmware updates and specific software for stitching and editing footage. The Insta360 Studio software is recommended for the Insta360 One R, while the Ricoh Theta app is tailored for the Ricoh Theta V. These cameras are compatible with popular editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro. To utilize the cameras' firmware and footage editing software, specific specifications are required on phones and laptops. The Insta360 One R and Ricoh Theta V mandate a minimum of 4GB of RAM, Android 7. 1 or iOS 11, and Bluetooth 4. 0 or above for phones. 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