Virtual field trips in tertiary science

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorJolley A
dc.contributor.authorSommerville P
dc.contributor.authorReyna N
dc.contributor.authorHampton S
dc.contributor.authorDawood M
dc.contributor.authorAshwell P
dc.contributor.authorHersey S
dc.contributor.authorDavies A
dc.contributor.authorKennedy, Ben
dc.contributor.authorStahl, Timothy
dc.contributor.authorWilson, Thomas
dc.contributor.authorBrogt, Erik
dc.contributor.authorPedley, Katherine
dc.contributor.authorDavidson, Jonathan
dc.date.accessioned2023-07-20T01:24:03Z
dc.date.available2023-07-20T01:24:03Z
dc.date.issued2018en
dc.date.updated2023-05-18T21:37:50Z
dc.description.abstractField trips are one of the most critical pieces of learning for students in sciences like geology, biology, and geography. Virtual field trips (VFT) are being increasingly considered as sophisticated and effective forms of teaching, especially with the rise of new technologies and the growing demand for more inclusive classroom environments. This research developed a virtual field trip for Tertiary students in an introductory-level geology course (GEOL 113: Environmental Geohazards) at the University of Canterbury. This initiative was in partnership with LEARNZ – a highly esteemed virtual fieldtrip team run by CORE Education that creates successful VFTs for Primary and Secondary students in New Zealand. Key components of the Tertiary VFT include a student acting as the virtual field trip teacher interviewing experts and leading the field trip, web-based background material, online assessment, and photos. In two successive academic years, students participated in the VFT during lectures and as pre class assignments prior to a one-day earthquake hazards workshop. In 2016, the virtual field trip used the LEARNZ web platform and occurred synchronously with the class; in 2017 the virtual fieldtrip reused the video, images and word documents from the previous year with the addition of a Google Earth component and with no reliance on the LEARNZ web platform. The goals of the trip were designed to prepare students for the earthquake hazards workshop, in which students analysed earthquake impacts over varying timescales and then applied that knowledge to develop strategies for the recovery of three crucial industries (dairy, mining, or tourism) on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. In both years, number of clicks data showed that students interacted with online material far more during this week of the course than any other. Following the synchronous version in 2016, the students who were surveyed reported (1) they enjoyed the trip, (2) they found background material useful for preparation for the trip and the workshop, and (3) the additional work was at the appropriate level. Despite predominantly positive responses from the students, we experienced some negative feedback from participating staff mainly associated with stress and technical difficulties in running the synchronous VFT. With the asynchronous trip in 2017, staff reported a highly positive overall experience, with a perceived enhanced interaction with class during lecture time, and an increased and enhanced engagement with course material outside of class. The student survey again showed that the majority of students surveyed enjoyed the virtual fieldtrip, and that it was useful preparation for the workshop. Additionally, they reported an improved link between earth processes and society, which was a key overarching aim for the course. We propose that the synchronous version poses more excitement and immersion in the field environment, whereas the reuse of the asynchronous version increases the utility (and hence value for money) of the trip, and minimises technical difficulties and lecturer stress. Additionally, re-using the material in the asynchronous version offered opportunities to improve and supplement the past content, such as the incorporation of following an annotated trip path in Google Earth. As recommendations for others interested in developing virtual fieldtrips, we report that the design of a virtual fieldtrip should include (1) Goal-aligned content and assessment for both practice and marks, (2) a student and instructor experience that is authentic and flexible to both the people and the place. We suggest that these aims can be achieved whatever the budget or timeframe and make our material freely available at https://serc.carleton.edu/index.html.en
dc.identifier.citationJolley A, Kennedy B, Sommerville P, Reyna N, Stahl T, Hampton S, Wilson T, Brogt E, Pedley K, Davidson J, Dawood M, Ashwell P, Hersey S, Davies A (2018). Virtual field trips in tertiary science. Ako Aotearoa. Ako Aotearoa. Ako Aotearoa.en
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10092/105724
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherAko Aotearoaen
dc.rightsAll rights reserved unless otherwise stateden
dc.rights.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10092/17651en
dc.subject.anzsrcFields of Research::39 - Education::3901 - Curriculum and pedagogy::390113 - Science, technology and engineering curriculum and pedagogyen
dc.subject.anzsrcFields of Research::39 - Education::3901 - Curriculum and pedagogy::390102 - Curriculum and pedagogy theory and developmenten
dc.subject.anzsrcFields of Research::46 - Information and computing sciences::4607 - Graphics, augmented reality and games::460708 - Virtual and mixed realityen
dc.subject.anzsrcFields of Research::39 - Education::3903 - Education systems::390303 - Higher educationen
dc.subject.anzsrcFields of Research::39 - Education::3904 - Specialist studies in education::390405 - Educational technology and computingen
dc.subject.anzsrcFields of Research::39 - Education::3904 - Specialist studies in education::390409 - Learning sciencesen
dc.titleVirtual field trips in tertiary scienceen
dc.typeReportsen
uc.collegeService Unit
uc.departmentFuture Learning and Development
uc.departmentSchool of Earth and Environment
uc.departmentVice-Chancellors Office
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
RESEARCH-REPORT-Virtual-Field-trips-in-Tertiary-Science.pdf
Size:
1.08 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Published version
Download
Collections
Science: Reports