A COMPARISON OF LEARNING BY INTEGRATING REAL AND VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS INTO AN INTRODUCTORY ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY COURSE

Field experiences in geoscience education now range from real to the virtual. Time and budget constraints, increased safety considerations and large class size are changing the nature of teaching in the field. Technology has provided an attractive alternative through the virtual field trip. While there is a wealth of virtual field trips available on the WWW, it is unclear how students learn on a virtual field trip and how those trips are best incorporated in Earth Science curriculum. In this study we investigate whether student learning is most effective in a field setting, a virtual environment or as an integrated real/virtual experience. A groundwater hydrology and policy virtual field trip was developed and compared to a traditional field-based counterpart. The field trip was designed to help students gain an understanding of groundwater flow and aquifer properties, understand how geology influences the location of groundwater, learn how to use and evaluate data, develop question-asking and hypothesis-testing skills, develop observational and spatial reasoning skills, gain an appreciation for the complexity of science and its application to real-world problems. A modified pre-test/post-test and attitude study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of virtual field trips, how they are best used in an introductory Earth Science course and students' attitude toward virtual field trips. Sixty students in an entry level Environmental Geology course participated in the virtual and traditional field trips. Students' performance, confidence and knowledge were evaluated prior to and following, the virtual and traditional field trips. Concept map evaluations revealed learning goals are best achieved using both the virtual and traditional field trip exercises; the most effective combination being virtual field trip first. Students develop a strong knowledge base and perform better when they participate in the virtual field trip prior to the traditional field trip. Confidence log evaluations suggest students feel more confident learning in the field, however they develop a better understanding of terminology and familiarity with the agenda in the virtual field trip. Therefore, virtual field trips may be best used as a pre-activity for a traditional field trip.