Immersive and interactive three-dimensional virtual fieldwork: Assessing the student learning experience and value to improve inclusivity of geosciences degrees

Q1 Social Sciences

Journal of Geoscience Education Pub Date : 2023-05-01 DOI:10.1080/10899995.2023.2200361

L. Guillaume, Valentin Laurent, M. Genge

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引用次数: 2

Abstract

Abstract Fieldwork is a pedagogical cornerstone of many geoscience degrees. During the academic years 2019–20 and 2020–21, the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic made outdoors fieldwork difficult, resulting in an urgent need to develop virtual alternatives. However, there is still more to learn about the impact of teaching fieldwork virtually on the student learning experience. This study aims to assess the student learning experience during immersive and interactive three-dimensional virtual fieldwork and establish the value of digital techniques to improve the inclusivity of geosciences degrees. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to assess students’ attitudes to virtual fieldwork in comparison to outdoor fieldwork in terms of accessibility, inclusivity and their learning experience. Our results show overall positive student responses to virtual fieldwork, with over half stating it adequately replicated the learning experience of outdoor fieldwork. Students also value outdoor fieldwork for the degree of autonomy it provides, and idea-sharing with peers; yet simultaneously the majority believed outdoor fieldwork is inherently exclusionary. This study concludes that virtual fieldwork, taught using interactive 3D virtual outcrops set within virtual worlds, replicates the outdoor fieldwork learning experience as closely as possible. However, students missed some fundamental and important aspects of outdoor fieldwork, as being outside and the social interactions with peers and staff that are specific to on-location fieldwork. This study recommends the use of virtual fieldwork in addition to residential on-location fieldwork, as for a significant number of students virtual fieldwork may be a better way of accessing this valued pedagogy of the geosciences. Furthermore, virtual fieldwork has the potential to make geosciences more inclusive and attractive to a wider range of students.

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沉浸式互动三维虚拟田野调查：评估学生的学习体验和价值，以提高地学学位的包容性

摘要田野调查是许多地学学位的教学基石。在2019-20学年和2020-21学年，全球新冠肺炎大流行使户外实地工作变得困难，因此迫切需要开发虚拟替代品。然而，关于实地教学对学生学习体验的影响，还有更多的东西需要了解。本研究旨在评估学生在沉浸式和交互式三维虚拟实地调查中的学习体验，并确定数字技术在提高地学学位包容性方面的价值。收集了定量和定性数据，以评估学生对虚拟实地调查的态度，与户外实地调查相比，在可及性、包容性和学习体验方面。我们的研究结果显示，学生对虚拟实地调查的总体反应是积极的，超过一半的学生表示，虚拟实地调查充分复制了户外实地调查的学习体验。学生们还重视户外田野调查提供的自主性，以及与同龄人分享想法；但与此同时，大多数人认为户外田野调查本质上是排斥性的。这项研究得出的结论是，使用虚拟世界中设置的交互式3D虚拟露头进行虚拟实地考察，尽可能地复制户外实地考察的学习体验。然而，学生们错过了户外实地调查的一些基本和重要方面，如户外活动以及与同伴和工作人员的社交互动，这些都是现场实地调查特有的。这项研究建议，除了驻地实地考察外，还应使用虚拟实地考察，因为对于相当多的学生来说，虚拟实地考察可能是获得这种有价值的地球科学教学法的更好方式。此外，虚拟实地调查有可能使地球科学对更广泛的学生更具包容性和吸引力。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Geoscience Education Social Sciences-Education

CiteScore

3.20

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Journal of Geoscience Education (JGE) is a peer-reviewed publication for geoscience education research, and serves as an international forum for research concerning the pedagogy, assessment, and philosophy of teaching and learning about the geosciences and related domains. JGE is a publication of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers, a non-profit, member-driven organization that supports a diverse, inclusive, and thriving community of educators and education researchers to improve teaching and learning about the Earth.