A METHODOLOGY FOR INTEGRATING A VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP WITH INTERACTIVE LEARNING INTO A TERTIARY CURRICULUM

Fieldwork has been identified by many as one of the most critical pieces of learning for students in science fields like geology, biology, geography, etc. 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 has involved developing a virtual field trip and interactive expert question-and-answer sessions for Tertiary students in an introductory-level geology course (GEOL 113: Environmental Geohazards) at the University of Canterbury. This is an initiative in partnership with LEARNZ – a highly esteemed organization run by CORE Education that creates successful VFTs for Primary and Secondary students in New Zealand. This is LEARNZ’s first collaboration targeting a Tertiary audience and the first time a VFT has been incorporated into a geoscience curriculum at the University of Canterbury. Key components of the Tertiary VFT include: a student acting as the virtual field trip teacher (representing a student-teacher guide in the field environment), background web material, online assessment, videos, photos, audioconferences with expert scientists, and daily diary entries. This material will be presented to the students in conjunction with standard lectures during the week prior to a one-day workshop, in which an Alpine Fault rupture event is modelled. Within the workshop students analyze earthquake impacts over varying timescales and then apply acquired knowledge to the strategies for the recovery of three crucial industries (dairy, mining, or tourism) on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. We were able to create learning goals for the VFT, background material, and film field trip videos utilizing the learning goals of the workshop and learning theories such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Principles, SOLO Taxonomy and Bloom’s Taxonomy. Future and undergoing work for this project will evaluate and assess engagement and learning outcomes for students and instructors.