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iPod tours for places of worship Wolverhampton Central Mosque As Part of my second semester module 'Independent Study', I was asked to create a tour of the Wolverhampton Central Mosque looking in detail at specific features of the Mosque on an iPod touch. However, as this was of a collaborative nature, my task involved me to create such a tour which would allow students who would be working in pairs to share information about what they have learned at the end of the tour. The ‘Mihrab’ is most important element in any mosque, as this niche indicates the direction of Macca and functions as the focal point in prayer. This is also the place where the Imam leads prayer from, with his head and shoulders being placed in the niche during prostration. The arch shape of the Mihrab is important as it represents a path or doorway to Macca. Mihrabs can vary in size, colour and materials used. The Collegiate Church of St. Peter. Welcome to the tour of the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, Wolverhampton HEAT 3 Project The advantage of conducting this tour on an iPod for people with disabilities ensured that they do not miss out on the tour. The iPod allows to stop and pause the tour at your own pace and does not rush the user to read the information. Students were table to take their time in reading the information and sharing what they have learnt when visiting each feature. iPod tour was a success. The tour was greatly enhanced by the technology and this imaginative learning experience was enjoyed by those students present and would be useful for students with hearing disabilities and other learning disabilities Lady Wulfruna This is the statue of Lady Wulfruna, believed to be the granddaughter of King Ethelred 1 and Queen Ethelred, the daughter of Alfred the Great. The first recorded reference of her is found in 943 C.E. when she was a prisoner of the Danes at Tamworth. In 985 C.E. Ethelred the 2nd granted her 10 hides of land (approx. 30 acres) at Heatune (Hightower). Map for Tour# No. 1. Lady Wulfruna No. 2. The Saxon Pillar No. 3. The Nave No. 4. The Font No. 5. The Stone Pulpit No. 6. The Lady Chapel No. 7. The Chancel No. 8. The War Memorial Chapel LDS CHAPEL WEDNESFIELD Wolverhampton Buddha Vihara Buddha Vihara Wolverhampton The Vihara, which follows the Theravada tradition of Buddhism was built on 14 April 1991 by Dr BR Ambedkar's followers. After his conversion and the mass conversion, some of these Buddhist converts settled in Wolverhampton and established this Buddhist centre. In 2000, a separate community centre, consisting of a large hall, stage and gallery, was added to the Buddha Vihara. It is the first community centre built outside of India and is available for meetings, seminars, and conferences. Lotus Position The statues and image you may see around the Vihara usually depict Buddha sitting cross-legged, with the feet placed on opposite thighs. This position is called the Lotus position and is believed to aid the meditation and breathing of the practitioner as well as stability. This position originated with the Hindu Yoga tradition, and famous Hindu depictions reflect this. The God Shiva is often seen sitting in this position and it is called Lotus as it resembles the Lotus Flower. All of the students felt that the audio tour was a good way to deliver the information. Several commented that it allowed them to look around the vihara and concentrate on the images there whilst being 'fed' the information rather than having to read it. Also several commented that they liked that there was a picture matching the place in the vihara that they were standing. Although students were very positive about the benefits of a ‘virtual’ tour, they agreed it would be useful to have a member of the community there to answer questions. IPods certainly helped the person to learn at their own pace by taking their own time around the tour. This flexibility helped to create a relaxing atmosphere… There was only one voice used through out, one way this could have been improved was to use at least another voice or maybe two to add variety. However it was good to have a local accent explaining the church as it makes the tour a bit more authentic. School of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences: Religious Studies Worship Young women Priesthood Primary Nursery Relief/ Women Baptism Young men Cultural hall Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning: Critical Interventions for Enhanced Learning (CIEL)