An Education Toolbox

Virtual fieldtrips are not a replacement for outdoors fieldwork, they are a supplement that provides a logistically simple means of enhancing the learning experience. Virtual fieldwork helps students develop competence in field skills making outdoors courses more efficient and valuable. For some students, virtual fieldwork provides an alternative for outdoor work that can ensure their participation in this important part of Earth Science training.

As an educator you can use Geology-Verse as a novel means of delivering elements of your teaching. Geology-Verse provides virtual recreations of localities in which educators can lead field activities in class, or as self-study assignments. Each activity comes with a range of visual aids to help the educator, such as display slides, display topographic contours, and 3D demonstration and animated elements. Geology-Verse also provides tools to manage students online, allowing educators to split students into groups, set teaching assistants or summon students.

Virtual field activities provide a useful resource to ensure participation in fieldwork. Students who are unable to participate in outdoors field courses can be given an equivalent virtual fieldwork that has the same learning outcomes. Our experience with delivering virtual field courses demonstrates that students respond well to the immersive environments within Geology-Verse. Student behaviour is broadly similar to in outdoor fieldwork, however, progress is enhanced owing to the “in-game” provision of vehicles allowing easy travel within the virtual world. Geology-Verse provides students with more than just a familiar environment. In-activity tools, such as compass clinometers, are also designed to provide similar functionality to their real-world equivalents maximising the utility of the experience.

To encourage inclusivity Geology-Verse is designed to support a wide range of computers, including Windows and Macs. A minimum specification system of 4Gb of RAM with on-board graphics should be capable of running Geology-Verse on low graphic settings if it is less than a few years old. This should minimise the number of students who need access to equipment to participate in virtual fieldwork. To achieve this inclusivity Geology-Verse balances resolution of models against purpose and supplements models with field photographs to illustrate lithology. The online multiplayer capabilities of Geology-Verse are designed to be seamless and easy for the educator and are provided by Geology-Verse’s server. At launch the online service is provided free – supported by an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion grant from the National Environmental Research Council (NERC).

The first activity available in Geology-Verse is a recreation of the area around Inchnadamph in Assynt, Scotland. The activity provides an opportunity to conduct geological mapping of an area of ~2 km2 around the village and represents nearly a weeks worth of mapping. Geology-verse also includes an introductory tour intended to familiarise students with principles of geological mapping. For more information on the Inchnadamph locality see our localities information.