METHODS AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM AN ATTEMPT TO REPLICATE THE FIELD MAPPING EXPERIENCE ONLINE

Bartell Field camp at OU was moved online this summer; the decision to not cancel field camp was made because ten seniors needed the course to graduate. We were determined to preserve as much of the field experience as possible for our students. We used a variety of technologies and novel approaches to develop projects for students, guided by the learning objectives developed through NAGT Virtual Field Camp workshops.

Our objective was to create a virtual stratigraphy and mapping project utilizing our traditional field camp location and geology in Cañon City, Colorado. The images and data needed to build our project were collected in the field over a four-day period. These data represent local-scale geology covered during overview trips as well as outcrop scale, hand-sample scale, and hand-lens scale for individual outcrops. We collected oriented photos that recorded and displayed strike azimuth and location. Photos taken along strike were measured for dip by students using an in-browser protractor.

The mapping area and subset of stratigraphy stops were built and disseminated using Google Earth Web to avoid any accessibility issues with CPU-intensive Google Earth Pro. Students explored the photos at pinned locations using links to interactive image-hosting websites. Students navigated the locations making observations and collecting structural data just as they would in the field. We used Slack for messaging and notebook checks throughout the day in addition to daily zoom meetings. This kept students on track and checking-in, much like we would expect in the field.

Students were split in their preference for digital vs paper mapping. Feedback from students suggests the structure of our approach was helpful in mapping and interpreting the study area. However, they would have preferred more outcrops to overcome uncertainties. The assignment was designed to reproduce the intensive workload of days in the field, but students found it difficult to work this long at their computers.

We learned that it is possible to replicate much of the field experience online and teach similar skills to students as in traditional camp. Development time for these projects is roughly equivalent to the time spent in the field during a mapping exercise, depending on pre-existing instructor familiarity with technology.