UTILIZING AUGMENTED REALITY AND VIRTUAL REALITY IN GEOSCIENCE EDUCATION: AN OVERVIEW (Invited Presentation)

Augmented reality and virtual reality are two points on what is being called as the immersive computing or mixed reality spectrum. The potential applications of these tools to education, both formal and informal, is extensive, however education arenas have been slow to embrace them. Specifically, in the geosciences, augmented reality and virtual reality may provide specific opportunities to support learning about Earth science concepts, processes, and skills that are known to be challenging to learners (e.g., understanding change over time and space) or it may be used to provide access to opportunities that are not accessible to all learners (e.g., virtual field trips) or it may be used to build expertise about certain skills (e.g. spatial thinking, lab skills, etc.). This presentation will highlight applications both in and outside of the geosciences, provide case study examples, and discuss the efficacy and effectiveness research that is still needed to better understand the learning benefits and best practices resulting from the use of using these tools and best practices. Specifically, in the geosciences, the augmented reality sandbox will be highlighted as it has gotten much attention and traction in the field at a range of institutions and learning settings.