ThingLink Spotlight! Lighting Up Immersive Learning with Simon M Hutchinson

Louise Jones January 7, 2026

ThingLink Luminaries is a series of guest blog posts highlighting certified trainers who are creating interactive and immersive experiences to make learning more engaging, accessible, and meaningful. Our educators and learning designers bring a thoughtful approach to immersive learning, and their work reflects a deep commitment to creativity, pedagogy, and innovation.

In each profile post, we’ll explore their background, teaching philosophy, and favorite ThingLink projects offering insight into how they’re making a lasting impact in their classrooms, organizations and communities! Enjoy!

Introducing Simon

I am an environmental science teacher and researcher at a UK university. I love the field work side of my job and I am passionate about making field trips more accessible and inclusive. The environment provide a fantastic learning environment and there a many benefits to spending time outdoors.

Simon’s ThingLink project

Peel Park is an historic green space right next to the university. Virtual Peel Park (VPP) is a co-creation using ThingLink between my students and the local community to raise awareness of this environmental resource and influence behaviors e.g., live links help visitors make more sustainable visits to the site using public transport. To recognise participants involvement in VPP’s development we also created a micro credential in Environmental Visualisation.

What inspired this project?

I have used Thinglink to create Virtual Field Trips (VFTs) as a teaching aid for a range of environment programmes and also supported students to co-create their own virtual excursions. Therefore, extending this approach to encompass the local community made sense.

My students have gained extra digital skills and virtual access via VPP to this green space has encourage its use by both students and local people. In 2026 Peel Park will be 180 years old (and probably one of the oldest public parks in the UK). To mark this anniversary, I am leading a team across the university, local Friends group and city council in creating VPP2.0 which will include and interactive fitness trail, wildlife and local history guides using ThingLink.

How was it experienced?

VPP can by accessed via the city council website and was a Green Gown Award finalist commended for its innovation and community participation in this national scheme.

I have applied the approach to a second local park, conservation projects and one of the region’s Country Parks providing students with real-world environmental experience.

What do you love about ThingLink?

It’s a rather egalitarian tool i.e., you can very quickly create a useable output, share this, refine and improve based on the feedback and your growing skills and experience.

Connect and Simon’s Fun Facts!

🎵 Simon’s fun fact: Simon has a wide taste in music and currently enjoys this track on Spotify
💼 Simon can be contacted via his professional profile here

Thank You Simon!