Pearson's Immersive Learning Revolution
How MOHARA helped transform Aura 360 from an award-winning prototype into Pearson's global immersive content platform.
Client Background
Pearson PLC is a global leader in education, with a long history of helping people learn through innovation. As part of its digital transformation strategy, Pearson sought to reimagine how immersive technologies, VR, 360° video, and interactive media could make learning more engaging and accessible.
To bring this vision to life, Pearson partnered with Aura 360, a startup that had secured national innovation funding to explore immersive learning in vocational education. Aura 360 had developed a promising prototype but needed a technology partner capable of scaling it into a global, enterprise-grade platform.
The Challenge
Aura 360's early platform proved that immersive learning could transform engagement, but it wasn't built for scale. Educators were unable to easily create or manage VR content without technical assistance, and the system lacked the necessary infrastructure for global deployment.
Pearson needed a solution that would:
- Empower non-technical educators to author and manage immersive experiences.
- Deliver cross-device compatibility for classrooms, tablets, desktops, and VR headsets.
- Maintain high standards of data security, accessibility, and analytics.
Objectives
The project set out to achieve three key goals:
- Scalability – Rebuild the Aura 360 prototype into a stable, modular product ready for Pearson's global rollout.
- Accessibility – Enable educators to create interactive VR lessons without coding or complex tools.
- Integration – Incorporate real-time analytics, compliance standards, and flexible hosting within Pearson's digital learning ecosystem.
The Solution
MOHARA partnered with Aura 360 and Pearson to rebuild the platform from the ground up—turning a prototype into a robust, immersive learning ecosystem.
What we delivered:
Modular Authoring Platform
A flexible CMS enabling educators to create, edit, and publish immersive experiences with no technical background.
Interactive Content Tools
Hotspots for text, images, audio, video, and quizzes embedded directly within 360° environments.
Analytics & Reporting
Dashboards using Tin Can API (xAPI) and Google Analytics for real-time learner engagement data.
Cross-Device Compatibility
Optimised delivery for desktop, tablet, mobile, and VR headsets (Gear VR, Oculus DK2, Google Cardboard).
Secure Infrastructure
Hosting and data privacy compliant with UK Data Protection and accessibility standards.
Technical Stack
WordPress CMS • Krpano for 360° video rendering • Tin Can API (xAPI) • Google Analytics • HTML5 video
The result was an authoring and delivery environment that allowed educators to build, edit, and launch immersive lessons instantly—without interrupting learner sessions.
Results
The partnership between Pearson, Aura 360, and MOHARA culminated in the launch of a flagship VR experience: a virtual tour of the London Transport Museum, unveiled at ISTE 2016 in collaboration with Google Expeditions.
Impact:
- Aura 360 became Pearson's preferred platform for immersive learning content.
- Enabled real-time authoring of interactive virtual tours used in classrooms worldwide.
- Expanded through partnerships with Google and NetDragon (China), unlocking both Western and Asian distribution.
- Supported multiple use cases across education, corporate training, museums, and government institutions.
Why MOHARA
Aura 360 had the vision; Pearson had the reach. MOHARA brought the technical depth, scalability, and delivery discipline to connect the two.
By combining strategic product thinking, UX design, and full-stack engineering, MOHARA helped transform a prototype into a market-ready platform capable of delivering immersive learning at global scale.