--- title: "Beyond the ‘Wow’ Moment: Redefining Immersive Learning" description: "We might be looking at Immersive learning all wrong, according to Phil Burchinhall, Lead of Immersive Content at Discovery Education. Speaking at the East of England EdTech Hubs CPD event with LGfL, Phil,  a former teacher and ICT advisor with over 30 years in the field,  challenged educators to look past the hardware and focus on the green screen in our brains." image: https://curriculumblog.lgfl.net/hubfs/Sandbox%20presv4.jpg --- Broadband and so much more: [ Get Connected with LGfL > ](https://lgfl.net/smartbuy/broadband) ## Curriculum Blog [Safeguarding Blog](https://safeblog.lgfl.net) [Curriculum Blog](https://curriculumblog.lgfl.net) # Beyond the ‘Wow’ Moment: Redefining Immersive Learning [ Bob Usher ](https://curriculumblog.lgfl.net/author/bob-usher) Feb 23, 2026 2:21:12 PM “Immersive learning” is a term we hear often in EdTech circles, usually followed by a demonstration of a sleek VR headset. But according to Phil Birchinhall, Lead of Immersive Content at Discovery Education, we might be looking at it all wrong. [![Engagement is not the goal, its the beginning](https://curriculumblog.lgfl.net/hs-fs/hubfs/Sandbox%20presv4.jpg?width=960&height=539&name=Sandbox%20presv4.jpg)](https://lgfl.planetestream.com/View.aspx?id=8560~4t~V4IOjBBB) [ View the full keynote: Phil Birchinhall on looking past the hardware in EdTech. ](https://lgfl.planetestream.com/View.aspx?id=8560~4t~V4IOjBBB) Speaking at the [East of England EdTech Hubs CPD event](https://lgfl.planetestream.com/View.aspx?id=8562~4v~6gmPEM79) supported by LGfL, Phil, a former teacher and ICT advisor with over 30 years in the field,  challenged educators to look past the hardware and focus on the "green screen in our brains."   ## The Psychology of Immersion Phil argues that the first real VR headset wasn't a piece of technology; it was a book. When a child reads a gripping story, they aren't just looking at text; they are building a cinematic world in their mind. "We have a green screen studio in our brains," Phil explains. "As teachers, you know how to spark that performance in yourself to ignite it in your pupils." Immersive technology, then, shouldn't replace the imagination;  it should amplify it.   ## Moving the Needle: The Bob Usher Principle' One of the most striking parts of Phil’s talk was his "Bob Usher Principle," born from a collaboration with [LGfL’s Bob Usher.](https://lgfl.net/home/meet-the-team#:~:text=Teaching%20and%20Learning-,Bob%20Usher,-Content%20Manager%20and) Phil recalled showing Bob an early AR (Augmented Reality) prototype of a prehistoric campfire. Bob’s response? > "I don't see the point. I can show them a photo of that on a screen and achieve the same learning outcome." This led to a pivot in philosophy: Pedagogy first, technology second. For content to be truly immersive, it must move the needle on learning. It isn't enough to show a 3D model of a heart or a molecule if a 2D diagram does the job just as well. Immersive tools should be used for things that can't be done otherwise,  like bringing a full-scale Roman forum into the school playground to explore architectural scale.   ## Engagement is Just the Start Line A common trap for EdTech is focusing solely on "engagement." Phil is clear: engagement is only the beginning. - The 30-Second Spark: High-energy tech creates a "wow" moment that lasts about 20 to 30 seconds. - **The "What Next?":** The teacher’s role is to transform that spark into** intrinsic **motivation (the desire to keep learning) and eventually **affinity** (where a student becomes a lifelong "Egyptology nut" because of a single lesson). [![Building Worlds, Not just watching them ](https://curriculumblog.lgfl.net/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-1.jpeg?width=1378&height=773&name=undefined-1.jpeg)](https://lgfl.planetestream.com/View.aspx?id=8593~4z~b2w5tYQA)   [Watch how Highfields Primary School in Manningtree](https://lgfl.planetestream.com/View.aspx?id=8593~4z~b2w5tYQA) have harnessed the power of Sandbox AR to turn their playing field into the Pyramids of Giz, giving their pupils a chance to express their understanding of the topic in new and powerful ways.   --- ## Sandbox AR: Creation Over Consumption Phil highlighted [Sandbox AR,](https://sites.google.com/lgfl.net/sandbox/how-can-schools-use-sandbox-ar/getting-started) a free tool (available on iPad and Chromebook) that allows pupils to build their own 3D worlds. Instead of just looking at a digital model, students at schools like Lawford and Highfields are using it to: - [Build Anderson shelters to understand WWII survival.](https://sites.google.com/lgfl.net/sandbox/ww2-pilot#h.u5upxbb2ie1e) - [Create Antarctic landscapes to "prove" what explorers needed to stay alive.](https://sites.google.com/lgfl.net/sandbox/impact-case-studies/lawford-primary-school) - [Construct Roman scenes and intentionally place "anachronisms" (like a rubber duck) to test their peers' historical inquiry skills.](https://lgfl.planetestream.com/View.aspx?id=7007~4o~oujSKny9) The result? Simon Pile, Headteacher of Anson Primary School in Brent, says that the quality of students' subsequent writing is significantly higher. > “They aren't writing about something they saw on a screen; they are writing about a place they feel they’ve actually been.”   --- ## Key Takeaways for UK Educators 1. **Play is Vital:** Don’t be afraid to experiment with these tools yourself before introducing them to the class. 2. **Universal Design for Learning (UDL)**: Use immersive content to remove barriers and provide multiple ways for students to express their knowledge. 3. **Content as Infrastructure:** Think of high-quality digital content not as a "bolt-on," but as part of your school’s essential learning fabric. As Phil reminds us, the goal isn't to increase screen time, but to use technology as a learning amplifier.   --- Find out more at [sandbox.lgfl.net ](http://sandbox.lgfl.net) Get involved in the EdTech hubs programme at [https://edtechhubs.lgfl.net/](https://edtechhubs.lgfl.net/) Beyond the ‘Wow’ Moment: Redefining Immersive Learning 4:07 [Curriculum Blog](https://curriculumblog.lgfl.net/tag/curriculum-blog), [education](https://curriculumblog.lgfl.net/tag/education), [key stage 2](https://curriculumblog.lgfl.net/tag/key-stage-2), [digital](https://curriculumblog.lgfl.net/tag/digital), [teaching](https://curriculumblog.lgfl.net/tag/teaching), [learning outcome](https://curriculumblog.lgfl.net/tag/learning-outcome), [LGfL](https://curriculumblog.lgfl.net/tag/lgfl), [SuperCloud](https://curriculumblog.lgfl.net/tag/supercloud), [create](https://curriculumblog.lgfl.net/tag/create), [mixedreality](https://curriculumblog.lgfl.net/tag/mixedreality), [key stage 1](https://curriculumblog.lgfl.net/tag/key-stage-1), [student](https://curriculumblog.lgfl.net/tag/student), [teacher](https://curriculumblog.lgfl.net/tag/teacher), [Inclusion](https://curriculumblog.lgfl.net/tag/inclusion), [EdTech](https://curriculumblog.lgfl.net/tag/edtech), [PedTech](https://curriculumblog.lgfl.net/tag/pedtech) ### Subscribe to our blog Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts. ## Read On ### [Life-Size Learning: How One Primary School Is Using Augemented Reality to Redefine Design Projects “Immersive learning” is a phrase frequently thrown around in EdTech circles, often accompanied by...](https://curriculumblog.lgfl.net/sandbox-ar-primary-school-pedagogy) ### [Cosmo Switch Case Study What is a Cosmo Switch? 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