Get Started with WWT 2022: For Educators
If you’re thinking about using WWT in the classroom or other educational settings, we recommend that you start by exploring WWT’s “guided tours”.
Get the Software
The first thing to do is to get your hands on the WWT software. Everyone can use the WWT “web client,” a multimedia application that lets you explore the universe from the comfort of your own web browser — no installation needed! Launch it here:
If you or your students use the Windows operating system, you can also download and install the WWT Windows client here:
Compared to the web client, the Windows client offers higher performance, a more sophisticated tour editor, and advanced functionality like support for VR headsets.
Explore WWT’s Guided Tours
For most educators, WWT’s guided tour functionality is an effective — and surprisingly easy-to-learn — way to teach astronomy concepts. See example tours and learn how to create your own at this page, and check out a suite of educational materials built around WWT-based inquiry. Both of these resources are maintained by the WWT Ambassadors (WWTA) project, an effort based at Harvard that uses WWT to transform classroom astronomy education.
You can explore a whole library of WWT tours through the “Tours” tab of the WWT web or Windows clients. Along with the WWTA website, the WWT Tour Authoring Guide offers more resources on tour creation.
Next Steps
If you want to share a tour online, you can use the WWT Embed Creator tool to create a shareable link. For instance, this Sky & Telescope article embeds a WWT tour to provide an interactive, multimedia tour of the some bright stars in the northern winter night sky.
If you get really inspired, it’s possible to use WWT to create even more sophisticated, custom educational experiences. Underlying the WWT web applications is a reusable toolkit that can be used to create custom interactives, like these from the WWT Ambassadors program:
Creating these takes some web development know-how, and a keen eye for design doesn’t hurt, but WWT takes care of a lot of the hard stuff for you!
You might also want to check out our suggestions for planetarians if you have access to a planetarium dome for astronomy education.
Getting Help
If you run into any issues, we recommend seeking support on the WWT user forum or contacting the WWT Ambassadors.