The iStream Lab Guidelines are now available as one of the key results of the iStream Erasmus+ project.
The document was developed under the leadership of Infinitivity Design Labs (France), the partner responsible for this project output, in collaboration with the entire iStream consortium. The guidelines provide higher education institutions with a practical framework for designing, equipping, managing, and sustaining immersive journalism laboratories.
The document is a practical instrument to help universities translate immersive journalism from concept into implementation. It supports institutions in making informed decisions about infrastructure, technologies, competences, teaching approaches, safety procedures, and long-term sustainability.
Who Should Use the iStream Lab Guidelines?
The guidelines have been designed for a wide range of stakeholders involved in journalism education and immersive media:
- Higher Education Institutions planning to introduce immersive journalism programmes;
- Faculty members and educators designing practical learning experiences;
- Curriculum developers and programme coordinators;
- Technical staff and lab managers responsible for infrastructure and workflows;
- Students interested in immersive storytelling and emerging media technologies;
- Media organisations and industry partners collaborating with universities on innovation and training.
Because immersive journalism combines storytelling, technology, ethics, and audience experience, successful implementation requires collaboration among different professional profiles. The guidelines provide a common reference framework for all of them.
What Is Inside the Document?
The iStream Lab Guidelines offer a comprehensive overview of the elements required to establish and operate an immersive journalism laboratory.
1. Immersive Technologies
The document presents an overview of the technologies that can support immersive journalism education and production. It introduces different categories of equipment and tools, helping institutions understand which solutions may be most appropriate according to their objectives, resources, and level of development.
One of the strengths of the guidelines is their emphasis on scalability. Institutions can begin with a basic setup based on 360° video and WebXR and progressively evolve toward more advanced immersive environments.
2. Competences Required
Successful implementation of immersive journalism requires more than technology alone. The guidelines identify the competences needed by educators, students, and technical staff, helping institutions understand the knowledge and skills required to effectively design, deliver, and support immersive learning experiences.
3. Health, Safety, Ethics and Compliance
Immersive technologies introduce new challenges related to safety, wellbeing, privacy, and ethics. The guidelines therefore provide recommendations on health and safety procedures, risk management, ethical considerations, and responsible implementation practices.Immersive journalism raises important ethical, psychological, and safety considerations.
4. Hands-On Activities
To support practical implementation, the document includes examples of activities and learning experiences that can be integrated into immersive journalism programmes. These examples demonstrate how students can move beyond theoretical learning and engage directly in the creation, testing, and evaluation of immersive content.
5. Maintenance and Sustainability
The long-term success of an immersive journalism lab depends on effective management and sustainability planning. The guidelines therefore address operational aspects such as maintenance, consumables, infrastructure management, and ongoing resource requirements.A frequently overlooked aspect of lab creation is long-term sustainability.
How Should the Guidelines Be Used?
According to the guidelines, universities can use the document to move from broad ambitions—such as innovating journalism education—to concrete decisions regarding infrastructure, tools, workflows, and learning activities.
The guidelines are particularly powerful when used together with the other iStream project outputs:
- The iStream Curriculum, which defines the competences and learning objectives;
- The iStream Syllabi, which structure the learning journey and teaching activities;
- The iStream Lab Guidelines, which provide the practical conditions needed to implement those learning experiences effectively.
Download the iStream Lab Guidelines
The document is available in multiple languages to support adoption across the partner countries.
Download the guidelines here:
We invite educators, universities, curriculum developers, media professionals, and innovation stakeholders to explore the document and discover how immersive journalism can be effectively integrated into higher education programmes.