MOBILE DEVICES, AUGMENTED REALITY, AND SYNCHRONOUS VERSUS ASYNCHRONOUS DELIVERY OF GEOSCIENCE FIELD CLASSES

Field classes have long been an essential component of undergraduate geoscience education. Such classes serve to develop geospatial analysis skills and visualization abilities that are key to map-making and map interpretation. However, field course requirements are a hindrance to expanding and diversifying the geoscience workforce because many non-traditional students face hurdles—including financial and cultural barriers—that prevent them from participating in field classes in person.

In the past, field classes were, of necessity, synchronous. If you missed the bus, you missed the class, and there were no make-up opportunities. However, with the aid of mobile devices, students can now go to the field asynchronously. Augmented Reality (AR) mobile apps allow instructors to present students with information or questions in the context of their current location whenever they arrive there. In the case of astronomy, there are a large number of AR apps that allow students to identify celestial bodies by holding their devices up to the night sky. We are experimenting with an equivalent facility for the Earth Sciences. The mobile app called “FreshAiR” (developed by co-author and ODU alumnus Matt Dunleavy) allows instructors to trigger content delivery to students' mobile devices when said students approach target locations. Content can include text, images, video, and questionnaires. Thus, students or groups of students can visit outcrops on their own schedule.

Even when field classes are synchronous and lead by an on-site instructor, students may benefit from AR. Students commonly fall behind the lead group on field trips, especially when strenuous climbing is involved, and some may miss portions of the instructor’s live delivery. Even those who hear the delivery may want a repeat of the description of difficult concepts. In such circumstances, students can potentially use their mobile devices to augment the live presentation.

A sample field trip stop augmented by the FreshAiR app will be demonstrated live at this interactive digital poster presentation.