Graduation Project Blog

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Submission & Review

Week 12: Day of Submission

Visit the webpage at this link: https://black-delighted-guineafowl.app.genez.io/

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Development Submission & Review

Week 11 – Website

This week, I wrapped up the project website, which was built using React.js. The site is designed to be clean, responsive, and easy to navigate, with four main sections: a landing page, a course directory, individual course pages, and a location page that includes both an interactive map and a virtual tour. The layout is inspired by UAL’s existing design system to keep things familiar for users—especially prospective students.

The chatbot is built right into the site and always available in the bottom-right corner, so visitors can get course or campus information without switching pages. The chatbot and the Matterport virtual tour are embedded using React hooks and iframes, keeping everything smooth and in one place.

The site is now live on Genezio, and all the key features, virtual tour, chatbot, interactive map, and course details, are fully integrated.

Website: Virtual tour and chatbot embedded and ready to be used.

After finishing that, I shifted gears and started reviewing my thesis and project files to get everything ready for the final submission deadline.

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Development

Week 10 – Chatbot making

In this final stage of the project, I built a full-stack RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) system that combines content retrieval, semantic search, and natural language generation. The implementation is based on the excellent tutorial Build a Full Stack RAG System with React, Langchain & Node.js by notJust․dev. The tutorial was essential in guiding the architecture and agent design of my chatbot, which is focused on delivering accurate course information.

While the original tutorial is centred around retrieving answers from YouTube transcripts, my implementation adapts the same principles to a different use case: scraping and processing publicly available content from the Creative Computing Institute’’’s website. For step-by-step details, I also referred to the companion Notion guide, which was incredibly helpful throughout the build.

Full tutorial code is available in the git repository: https://github.com/filippopresti/AIChatWithYoutube

The YouTube chatbot, deployed online using Genezio, is available at this link: https://rose-sparkling-kangaroo.app.genez.io/

Give the chatbot a YouTube link (make sure the video transcript is available) and it will (try to) answer any question about it.

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Development

Week 9 – Virtual Tour Completion

Over the previous weekend, I managed to successfully scan the entire 5th floor of the CCI building using the Matterport Pro 3 camera.

Below is the floor plan showing all the scanned areas.

Start of the scanning process.
End of the scanning process.

The scans were uploaded and rendered in the cloud overnight. On Tuesday (06/05/2025), I received access to the high-resolution tour from Lieven, who also gave me editing permissions.

Access to the rendered scan provided via email.

The first step in editing was to check the alignment and make sure the navigation between spaces was smooth and accurate. I then ensured that no brand logos or people were visible in the images. After that, I used the blur tool to cover up some noticeable marks on the walls.

Blurring visible marks on the wall. [1]
Blurring visible marks on the wall. [2]

Finally, I added tags and extra information to highlight key areas such as the technical labs, study areas, toilets, and more.

Adding tags to highlight key areas in the scan. [1]
Adding tags to highlight key areas in the scan. [2]

Each tag includes a title and description to help users understand its purpose. I also added useful links to certain tags, such as lockers, laptop lockers, printers, and equipment in the Physical Computing and e-Textiles labs. This extra information aim to support not just prospective students exploring the space, but also current students who may be using these services for the first time.

Adding description and helpful links for student locker facilities.

Adding description and helpful links for the printer.

After that, I noticed that the tag navigation was jumping randomly from one room to another, which made the experience feel disjointed. Fortunately, the editing system allows you to rearrange the order of the tags. After organising them logically, the final result felt much smoother and intuitive.

Reordering tags to improve tag navigation flow.

After reordering the tags, I explored the highlight feature in Matterport. Highlights offer a quick preview of key areas, allowing users to either begin the tour from these spots or browse through them for a guided overview.

Editing the Physical Computing Lab highlight.
Adding a highlight for one of the classrooms.

Below are some of the highlight previews I created for the CCI virtual tour.

Highlight for Physical Computing Lab.
Highlight for the Study Areas.
Highlight for the kithen.
Highlight of the laptop lockers.
Highlight of one of the classrooms.

The Matterport platform also enabled the creation of distinct viewing experiences through its multiple-view layer feature. The main tour layer includes all embedded informational tags and interactive features, designed for comprehensive user engagement. For users preferring an unobstructed exploration of the CCI’s digital environment, a ‘No Tags View’ was added. This provides a streamlined virtual tour focused only on the spatial experience, without additional informational overlays.

“Main View” layers.
“No tags view” layer.

Here’s the final version virtual tour ~ visit it here.

Here’s a preview of when I tried embedding the tour into a webpage ~ view it here.

Categories
Development Project Planning

Week 8 – Project Presentation

In Week 8 (28/04/2025), I presented my final project as part of the formative assessment.

The feedback I received was highly valuable. My supervisor pointed out that I had overlooked the potential disadvantages or limitations related to implementing the course information chatbot. Additionally, they suggested expanding on how the concept could be adapted for other contexts, such as student induction processes or interactive experiences in art galleries. These comments gave me important direction for refining and strengthening the project’s scope and impact.

On Wednesday (30/04/2025), I visited the kit room to check the availability of 360 cameras for creating my virtual tour. While they didn’t have any 360 cameras for loan, the staff informed me that they had a Matterport camera, which had been used the previous summer to scan most of the CCI building. However, the virtual tour was never published because the fifth-floor scan wasn’t completed.

They mentioned that if my scan was successful, they would be happy to include it as part of their official virtual tour. The staff were incredibly supportive and, despite normally not loaning out this equipment to students, they made an exception for my final project, on the condition that the camera stayed within university premises.

On Friday (2/5/25), I had a Matterport induction session with Lieven. During the session, I experimented with the camera, first by placing a few scan points and later adding more to build a fuller virtual walkthrough. You can see both versions of the scan below.

First trial using fewer scan points.
Second trial adding more scan points.

Lieven was very helpful throughout the process, offering practical tips and guidance. He showed me how to avoid reflections that could reveal people in mirrors or glass, and advised me to use UAL branding on screens to make the tour look more professional and clean. His feedback really helped improve the quality and visual appeal of the scans.

On Saturday (03/05/2025), I successfully scanned the entire 5th floor of the CCI building using the Matterport Pro 3 camera. Before starting, I took time to clean and tidy up the facilities to make sure everything looked presentable. I began scanning at 2 PM and finished around 5 PM.

Capturing a room during the scanning process.

Originally, the virtual tour was scheduled to be developed after the chatbot. However, once I gained access to the Matterport camera and platform, the process became much quicker than expected. This allowed me to complete the tour earlier and shift my focus to the chatbot afterwards. To reflect this change and stay aligned with upcoming deadlines, I reviewed the initial Gantt chart. The revised version below captures this new timeline and helped me stay on track throughout the project.

Revised Gantt Chart
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Project Planning

Week 7 – Planning the Presentation

As Week 7 began, my focus shifted towards preparing for the upcoming formative presentation of my final project. I started by outlining the key messages I wanted to communicate, making sure to present the problem clearly, along with my proposed solution.

One of the most helpful parts of the week was watching the first round of peer presentations. Seeing how others structured their slides and explained their ideas gave me valuable insight into how I could improve my own approach. I noticed the importance of grounding the project in academic research, so I went back and added key references from my literature review to support the need for my project. This made my presentation align with academic expectations.

By the end of the week, I felt more confident in both the structure and the content of my slides. Watching my peers and revisiting my literature helped me strengthen my message and prepare for the feedback I would receive in Week 8.

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User Research & Personas

Week 6 – User Research

This week, I focused on user research to ensure the virtual tour and chatbot align with the real needs of prospective and current students. Using persona-based methods, I created three fictional but research-informed profiles to explore how different types of users might engage with the tools being developed.

The first step in my user research process was identifying the key user groups for both the virtual tour and the course information chatbot. Initially, I considered them as separate tools with distinct audiences. However, after reviewing the user requirements for each, it became clear that there was significant overlap; many of the primary users of the virtual tour, such as prospective students and international applicants, would also benefit from the chatbot’s functionality. This insight helped streamline the process of developing user personas and scenarios, allowing for a more cohesive design approach that caters to shared needs across both tools.

Users Personas

After that, I created three personas representing a mix of user types that are likely to benefit from the project:

  • Derek – An international student interested in studying at CCI but unable to travel to London before applying. He relies heavily on digital content to explore campuses and gather course information.
  • Cody – A neurodiverse current student who finds navigating university spaces overwhelming. He would benefit from accessible, predictable tools to reduce stress and improve orientation.
  • Dr Hapas – A senior lecturer who regularly engages with students and often finds herself answering repetitive questions. She needs fast, direct answers to questions about course content and application timelines.

Each persona helped me understand different access needs, behaviours, and motivations. For example, Derek values multilingual support and immersive visual content. Cody prefers calm, structured interfaces. Aisha needs clear, practical information with minimal clicks.

Key Takeaways

  • The virtual tour needs to provide a smooth, step-by-step experience with visual clarity, particularly on mobile devices.
  • The chatbot should deliver short, accurate responses and clearly signal when a question is out of scope or requires escalation.
  • Providing hyperlinks, course-specific information, and location context (like where classes are held) will enhance usability for all users.
  • Accessibility features, such as screen-reader compatibility and keyboard navigation, should be considered early in development.

These personas will continue to guide design and testing decisions, helping ensure the final product is user-centred rather than assumption-based.

Categories
Ideation & Conceptual Design

Week 5 – Design Research

Virtual Tour

The first step in my research was to explore how other universities have used virtual tours to engage prospective and current students. UCAS provides a dedicated webpage that lists virtual campus tours from institutions across the UK (click here to access it). I browsed many examples and selected four major universities as case studies. The table below outlines key essential features for an effective virtual tour and evaluates how each of these universities has addressed them.

King’s College LondonUniversity of OxfordUniversity College LondonSaint Mary’s University
Virtual Tour Implementation

NO: The university doesn’t provide an embedded virtual tour. However, their website mentions that online virtual tour events are available on specific days and times.YES: Several virtual tours are available, including facilities and student accommodations.YES: Not a traditional virtual tour, but an interactive map with key campus locations, underground stations, and museums. Only 8 360-degree captures are available with embedded information.YES: Not fully immersive, but the 360 captures are embedded into an engaging website that provides a good amount of information.
Image/Video qualityEXCELLENT: While no virtual tours are available, the YouTube videos showcasing facilities are of HD quality.POOR: Image quality is inconsistent. Some are oversaturated or very dark, with a noticeable black-and-white rendering before fully loading.FAIR: Image quality is average; some captures are too dark. Faces are not blurred, which could raise privacy concerns unless consent was obtained.FAIR: Slightly above average quality. Some dark images could be edited. Faces appear unblurred, but likely with participant awareness as they are posed.
Mobile-FriendlyYES: Videos are hosted on YouTube, which is mobile-friendly and accessible via the app.YES: The virtual tour is mobile-compatible, but controls overlap with navigation arrows, making it hard to use.YES: The interactive map works well on smaller screens.YES: The website and virtual tour interface are well-optimized for all screen sizes.
Multilingual supportYES: Audio is in English, but auto-generated captions can be translated into other languages.NO: All information is only available in English.YES: Not natively multilingual, but browser-based translation (e.g., Chrome) renders content accurately in other languages.NO: Only browser-based UI translation works; however, most highlights are images, so text isn’t translated.
Interactive hotspotsNO: Videos offer minimal information, mainly just the names of areas described by the narrator.YES: Some minimal information is embedded in the tour.YES: Despite only 8 360 captures, many are enhanced with information. Highlights allow quick navigation, and can be hidden for an uninterrupted view. Some captures are sourced from Google Maps.YES: Highlights open additional images with embedded text. However, on smaller screens, the layout crops important information.
Guided Tour/ AudioYES: A narrator guides users through the main campus areas.NO: No audio or guided navigation. However, an autorotation feature plays for each capture.NO: Freely accessible tour without audio guidance.YES: The first capture includes an audio guide by a student. Unfortunately, no captions are available, and it’s the only one with voice narration.
VR headset
Compatibility		NO: Virtual tour not available.NO: Not compatible with VR headsets.YES: A VR headset option appears on smaller screens. It’s not visible from the desktop view, which could limit awareness.NO: No option to view the tour with a VR headset.

1. King’s College London

King’s College London – Official virtual tour video.
King’s College London – Virtual tour experience.

Insights: While the campus tour videos on their YouTube channel are not fully interactive or immersive, they are professionally produced and feature student narrators, which adds a relatable and authentic touch. Notably, the comment section initially served as an informal FAQ, with the university actively responding to common questions, enhancing engagement and accessibility. However, more recent comments from the past year have gone unanswered, which may affect the sense of responsiveness and ongoing support.

YouTube comment section below the King’s College London virtual tour video.

For this project, I initially considered including a comment section that could display previous questions and answers, offering a community-driven FAQ. However, open comment sections come with risks, such as the potential for inappropriate or harmful content, especially when not moderated. Additionally, responses left by admins or users may become outdated over time, particularly if more than a few months have passed. For these reasons, a chatbot provides a more reliable and controlled solution. By regularly updating its data, the chatbot can deliver accurate, timely information while ensuring a consistent and safe user experience.

2. University of Oxford

King’s College London: Virtual tour experience.

Insights: The overall experience is underwhelming. The image quality is low, and the navigation lacks fluidity and user-friendliness. Each location only features a single 360° capture, limiting the immersive potential of the tour. While some information is available, it is minimal and lacks depth. The tour is fairly extensive in coverage, including student accommodations, which is a positive aspect. However, the mobile version is not optimised (command buttons overlap and interfere with usability), making the experience less intuitive.

Mobile view: landscape mode.
Mobile view: portait mode.

Although the experience was not ideal, this virtual tour highlighted how poor navigation and limited information can significantly reduce the sense of immersion. The low image quality further detracts from the overall experience. For my project, I will ensure that all captures are retaken if necessary and edited where lighting affects clarity, to maintain a high standard of visual and interactive quality.

3. University College London

University College London: Virtual tour experience.

Insights: Although a fully immersive virtual tour is not provided, the interactive map is highly engaging and informative. It includes additional features such as locations of university accommodations, nearby underground stations, and museums. Despite relying on a limited number of 360° captures—some sourced from Google Maps—it was the only tour tested that offered VR headset compatibility. Interestingly, this option appeared only when navigating the site on smaller screens, as shown below.

The VR Headsets option only shows on smaller screen sizes.

Although it wasn’t a fully immersive experience, the interactive map was still enjoyable and informative. Inspired by this, I plan to include a simplified London map in my project, highlighting key locations such as CCI buildings and UAL accommodation halls.

4. St. Mary’s University

St. Mary’s Univeristy: Virtual tour experience.

Insights: The website is well-designed, with guided navigation that connects each 3D capture smoothly. The introductory video does not play, which impacts the initial experience. While the student narrator feature adds a personal touch, it appears only in a few scenes. Adding the ability to pause audio and enabling captions would significantly improve accessibility and usability.

The highlighted information is difficult to read from a mobile device.

Although this is not the type of virtual tour I aim to create, reviewing it was helpful for understanding how the experience functions across different screen sizes. If I add extra images layered over the tour, I will ensure they remain visible and accessible on smaller screens. Time permitting, I would also like to incorporate an audio guide to enhance the user experience.

Analysing virtual tours from other universities helped clarify what is truly needed to create an immersive experience. Many of the tours relied on isolated 3D shots, limiting the ability to navigate freely and fully explore campus facilities. This project aims to create a more fluid and engaging experience, similar to Google Street View, where users can move naturally in different directions, simulating the feeling of walking through the campus.

To achieve this, I used floor maps available on the UAL website to plan the navigation flow. I then mapped out specific scan points to ensure that each 360° capture supports smooth transitions and coverage of key areas. This strategic layout enhances user orientation and contributes to a more realistic and intuitive virtual tour.

Planning the navigation.
Planning the scan points.

Chatbot

The course information chatbot will be built using a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) approach, which combines a retrieval model with a generative model. This allows the system to pull relevant, up-to-date information from a predefined knowledge base and then generate human-like responses. Unlike basic rule-based bots, RAG models enhance reliability by grounding responses from inaccurate sources, making them ideal for handling FAQs about courses, facilities, and services. This architecture also supports scalability, making it easier to update the bot as information changes over time.

First iteration for the chatbot UI.

In terms of tone and design, the chatbot will follow UAL’s branding guidelines to ensure consistency with the wider institutional identity. This includes using CCI’s colour palette, typography, and interface language, which will help maintain familiarity and trust for current and prospective students.

High-fidelity Chatbot prototype.

Website

For the website, I’ve chosen to closely replicate the UAL website’s structure and visual language, as the project is intended to support CCI and align with its internal communications. The site will include three main pages: a landing page with the embedded virtual tour and interactive map, a course directory, and individual course pages.

This decision was made in agreement with my supervisor to ensure coherence with UAL’s digital ecosystem. Mimicking UAL’s layout also provides a familiar user experience, especially for those already navigating university sites. It reinforces credibility while streamlining user navigation across both official and project-based platforms.

UAL’s Branding Guidelines to use for the website and chatbot.

Below is the updated and polished comparative review of virtual campus tours at four major UK universities.

Comparative Review of Virtual Campus Tours at Major UK Universities.
Categories
Ideation & Conceptual Design Project Planning

Week 4 – Tools involved

As the project began to take shape, this week focused on selecting and testing the tools that would support both the development of the virtual tour and the implementation of the chatbot and UI design. Below is a breakdown of the main technologies and equipment involved:

1) 360° Virtual Tour
  • Camera: Insta360;
  • Extra equipment: Tripod and stabiliser;
  • Sofware options: Marzipano or Matterport.
2) Chatbot
  • Model: RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation);
  • Backend: Node.js;
  • Frontend: React.js;
  • Data handling: OpenAI’s API, LangChain library.
3) Wireframing and UI design
  • Protoypes: Canva and ProCreate;
  • Polished assets: Figma.
4) Website
  • Frontend: React.js;
  • CSS: open-source framework (such as Tailwind CSS).

Categories
Literature Review

Week 3 – Literature Review

In week 3, I started looking into articles to help me write the literature review for my graduation project. Since I’m building a website that combines a virtual tour of CCI with a chatbot for course and campus info, I focused on how these tools are used in education.

Virtual Tours

I found two useful articles that explain how universities use virtual tours:

1. Virtual tours boom, but will they have the same impact? – Inside Higher Ed (2020)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many universities switched from in-person tours to virtual ones. These tours became very popular, especially for international students and anyone who couldn’t travel. Even now, many schools still use them to help students explore the campus online.

This article also helped me understand how virtual tours can support remote students, which is important for my user research.

2. How a virtual tour can improve your enrollment metrics – EAB (2023)

EAB says that virtual tours don’t just look good, they can actually boost applications and enrollment. They help students learn more, engage with the university, and explore programs from home. These tours also give schools data on what students are interested in.

Chatbots in Education

I also looked at how chatbots are used in schools and universities.

1. Chatbot for Higher Education: 6 Benefits for Educational Institutions – Social Intents (2023)

Chatbots help students get quick answers about courses, deadlines, or schedules at any time of day. They also reduce admin work and improve communication, especially for international students in different time zones.

2. Are Your AI Chatbots Giving Away More Information Than They Should? – EdTech Magazine (2024)

This article talks about privacy risks when chatbots give out too much information. That’s why I made sure my chatbot only responds with approved UAL/CCI info to keep it safe and accurate.

After reading everything, here are the main benefits:

Virtual Tours

  • Easy access from anywhere
  • Fun and interactive
  • Students can explore what matters most to them

Chatbots

  • Always available
  • Give quick answers
  • Save time for stuff and students

This research gave me lots of ideas to improve both parts of my project and helped me think about what students really need.

References

Here is the (updated) list of references I read for the literature review and research:

Abidin, R., Suryani, N. and Sariyatun, . (2020) ‘Students’ Perceptions of 360 Degree Virtual Tour-Based Historical Learning About The Cultural Heritage Area of The Kapitan and Al-Munawar Villages in Palembang City’, International Journal of Social Sciences and Management, 7(3), pp. 105–112. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3126/ijssm.v7i3.29764.

Abshire, S.A., Deese, J.J. and Freiberger, K.E. (2017) ‘Mission accomplished?: An analysis of institutional missions through virtual campus tours’, Journal of the Student Personnel Association at Indiana University, pp. 31–46. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/369087279.

Afan Gafar, I. and Arif, Z. (2022) Systematic Literature Review: Virtual Tour 360 Degree Panorama, International Journal of Engineering Business and Social Science. Available at: https://ijebss.ph/index.php/ijebss.

Alexander, Bryan. et al. (2019) Educause Horizon report : 2019 Higher Education edition. EDUCAUSE.

Almodiel, M.C. et al. (2024) ‘Expanding Campus Engagement: A Study on the User Acceptance of a Virtual Reality-Enhanced Campus Tour in an Open University’, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN GOVERNANCE, EDUCATION AND BUSINESS, 6(2). Available at: https://iop.upou.edu.ph/vrtours/upouvr/alpha/.

Aryani, M.I., Arviani, H. and Suryanto, T.L.M. (2022) ‘Virtual tour as digital branding tool in the political economy of higher education: Case of virtual tour 360 UPNVJ’, International Journal of Arts and Social Science, 5(2), pp. 124–133.

Audsley, S. (2025) What You Should Know About Virtual College Tours. Available at: https://www.educations.com/articles-and-advice/bachelor-studies/what-you-should-know-about-virtual-college-tours? (Accessed: 20 April 2025).

Baker, N. (2024) UK Mobile Phone Statistics 2024 – Stats Report – Uswitch. Available at: https://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/studies/mobile-statistics/ (Accessed: 24 May 2025).

Batarseh, C. (2024) 9 Benefits of Virtual Campus Tours for Universities – Concept3D. Available at: https://concept3d.com/blog/virtual-tours/9-benefits-of-virtual-campus-tours-universities/ (Accessed: 23 April 2025).

Bello, S. (2024) Chatbots in Education: The Role of AI in Modernizing Student Assistance. Available at: https://smythos.com/ai-agents/chatbots/chatbots-in-education/ (Accessed: 24 April 2025).

Cho, Y.-H. and Fesenmaier, D.R. (2000) ‘A Conceptual Framework for Evaluating Effects of a Virtual Tour’, in Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2000. Vienna: Springer Vienna, pp. 314–323. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-6291-0_28.

Clark, S. (2022) Why Colleges and Universities Need Inclusive Virtual Tours | BestColleges. Available at: https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/inclusive-virtual-college-and-university-tours/ (Accessed: 24 April 2025).

Donaher Kee, L. (2025) What students look for in a college—and how your virtual tour can help | EAB. Available at: https://eab.com/resources/blog/enrollment-blog/what-students-look-for-college-how-your-virtual-tour-can-help/ (Accessed: 23 April 2025).

EAB (2021) Virtual Tours. Available at: https://eab.com/solutions/virtual-tours/ (Accessed: 10 May 2025).

Figueroa Jr, R.B. et al. (2020) ‘Virtualizing a University Campus Tour: A Pilot Study on its Usability and User Experience, and Perception’, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN GOVERNANCE, EDUCATION AND BUSINESS, 2(1), pp. 1–8. Available at: https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/visit/,.

Hurter, B. (2024) The Role of AI Chatbots For Higher Education Success In 2024 | Element451. Available at: https://element451.com/blog/chatbots-in-higher-ed-what-you-should-know (Accessed: 24 April 2025).

Iglesias, M.I., Jenkins, M. and Morison, G. (2021) ‘Enhanced low-cost web-based virtual tour experience for prospective students’, in Proceedings – 2021 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops, VRW 2021. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., pp. 677–678. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1109/VRW52623.2021.00221.

IXRLABS (2023) Comprehensive Guide on Virtual College Tours: Everything you Need to Know. Available at: https://www.ixrlabs.com/blog/virtual-college-tours/ (Accessed: 24 April 2025).

Lee, L.K. et al. (2020) ‘Using a Multiplatform Chatbot as an Online Tutor in a University Course’, in Proceedings – 2020 International Symposium on Educational Technology, ISET 2020. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., pp. 53–56. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1109/ISET49818.2020.00021.

Magolda, P.M. (2000) ‘The Campus Tour: Ritual and Community in Higher Education’, Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 31(1), pp. 24–46. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1525/aeq.2000.31.1.24.

Matterport (2022) User Generated Content & Languages. Available at: https://support.matterport.com/s/article/User-Generated-Content-Languages?language=en_US (Accessed: 15 May 2025).

Matyushina, K. (2022) Effect of a video tour, interactive map, and 360-degree virtual tour on engagement and interest. University of Twente.

Mendolia-Moore, T.A. (2018) The College Path: A Virtual Tour. California State Polytechnic University.

Minnesota State University (2024) The Virtual Chatbot to Answer University Related Questions, ‘Ask Stomper’ | Minnesota State University, Mankato. Available at: https://mankato.mnsu.edu/university-life/campus-services/student-affairs/maverick-moments/the-virtual-chatbot-to-answer-university-related-questions-ask-stomper/ (Accessed: 24 April 2025).

Neupane, S. et al. (2024) ‘From Questions to Insightful Answers: Building an Informed Chatbot for University Resources’. Available at: http://arxiv.org/abs/2405.08120.

Nguyen, T.T. et al. (2021) ‘NEU-chatbot: Chatbot for admission of National Economics University’, Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 2. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2021.100036.

NHS (2024) Project aims to ease patient anxiety with virtual hospital tour – Tees Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust. Available at: https://www.tewv.nhs.uk/news/pioneering-project-aims-to-ease-patient-anxiety-with-hospital-virtual-tour/ (Accessed: 24 April 2025).

Putri Ramadhanty, A. et al. (2021) Virtual Tour Actual Usage: The Influence of Perceived Benefits and Sacrifices, Journal of Information System).

Roberto, T. (2023) Utilizing Virtual Campus Tours in Student Recruitment. Available at: https://www.keg.com/news/utilizing-virtual-campus-tours-in-student-recruitment (Accessed: 24 May 2025).

Salah, M., Abdalla, A. and Abdallah, M. (2023) ‘Evaluation of Existing Virtual Tour Studies and Their Applicability to Jordanian Universities’, in 2023 IEEE Jordan International Joint Conference on Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, JEEIT 2023. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., pp. 64–67. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1109/JEEIT58638.2023.10185675.

Samala, A.D. et al. (2022) ‘ViCT—Virtual Campus Tour Environment with Spherical Panorama: A Preliminary Exploration’, International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies, 16(16), pp. 205–225. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v16i16.32889.

Samala, A.D. et al. (2024) ‘Exploring Campus through Web-Based Immersive Adventures Using Virtual Reality Photography: A Low-Cost Virtual Tour Experience’, International journal of online and biomedical engineering, 20(1), pp. 104–127. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3991/ijoe.v20i01.44339.

Shingte, K. et al. (2021) Research Paper on Chatbot Development for Educational Institute. Pune, India. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2139.

Sophia, E. (2025) ‘The Effectiveness of AI-Powered Chatbots in Student Support Services’, ResearchGate [Preprint]. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/390033254.

Swacha, J. and Gracel, M. (2025) ‘Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) Chatbots for Education: A Survey of Applications’, Applied Sciences (Switzerland). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI). Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/app15084234.

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Torchia, R. (2022) Virtual College Tours Continue Expanding Opportunities for K–12 Students | EdTech Magazine. Available at: https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2022/05/virtual-college-tours-continue-expanding-opportunities-k-12-students (Accessed: 23 April 2025).

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