GETTING TO GRIPS WITH UNTOUCHABLE SAMPLES: ONLINE 3D GEOLOGICAL SPECIMEN MODELS ON SKETCHFAB.COM

Sketchfab.com is a web-host for 3D digital models and is home to a large and growing collection of geological models, chiefly fossils, minerals, and rock specimens. A global community of geoscience modelers has evolved to supply 3D models to Sketchfab.com with the goal of supporting online and distance-learning in the earth sciences. Disruption to traditional instruction methods due to the COVID-19 pandemic spurred interest in the use of these models and the generation of a more comprehensive suite in 2020, which led us to develop a free, online catalog of Sketchfab.com hosted geoscience models. Our catalog is a Google Sheet and is searchable by rock or mineral name, general type (e.g., igneous, silicate), source, etc., and has a URL linked directly to the model. The goal of the catalog, that was supported by a National Science Foundation RAPID award in summer 2020, is to make searching for specific models, especially high-quality ones, easier for geoscience educators. The catalog and exemplary models are accessible through a dedicated West Virginia University webpage.

In this presentation we will draw attention to the catalog and the diversity of models listed in it. We will also demonstrate some examples of how we have used 3D models in our teaching, both as online substitutes for hands-on access and as supplementary learning materials. Finally, we will try to address some of the pitfalls we have identified and ways to mitigate them based on our own experiences.