Geoscience Fieldwork in the Age of Covid-19 and Beyond: Commentary on the Development of a Virtual Geological Field Trip to Whitefish Falls, Ontario, Canada

Abstract

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and resultant cancellation of geoscience fieldwork, as well as outstanding accessibility issues inherent in conducting fieldwork, we developed a virtual geological fieldtrip (VFT) to the Huronian age deposits in the Whitefish Falls area, Ontario, Canada. This region is a geologically significant site in which many Ontario universities conduct undergraduate teaching due to the high-quality exposures. In this contribution we describe and comment on the development of this openly available resource, the motivations in doing so, the challenges faced, its pedagogical impact and relevance, as well as provide suggestions to others in the development of such resources. Our multimedia VFT combines 360° imagery, georeferenced data on integrated maps, and multi-scale imagery (aerial/drone, outcrop, and thin section images). The VFT was built using the Esri Storymaps platform, and thus offers us the opportunity to review the effectiveness of building such resources using this medium, as well as our approach to doing so. We conclude that the Esri Storymaps platform provides a sound medium for the dissemination of multimedia VFTs, but that some aspects of in-person fieldwork remain hard to replicate. Most notably, ‘hands on experience’ and specific activities such as geological mapping. In addition, while VFTs alleviate some accessibility barriers to geoscience fieldwork, substantial barriers remain that should remain the focus of both pedagogical and geoscience work.

Field Research When There Is Limited Access to the Field: Lessons from Japan

“…Although the barriers to fieldwork created by the COVID-19 pandemic have hindered and transformed political science field research, there are few primers on how researchers can adapt to and mitigate these challenges. Almost all existing guides about the pandemic’s influence on fieldwork focus on the natural sciences (Al-Taweel et al 2020; Aubrey, Laverty, and Ma 2021; Corlett et al 2020; Douglas et al 2020; Peace, Gabriel, and Eyles 2021; Reid 2020; Scerri et al 2020; Wigginton et al 2020), in which challenges are substantial but often different than those faced by the social sciences (Howlett 2022; Krause et al 2021; Meza-Palmeros 2020). Furthermore, although there are numerous papers addressing best practices for the design and execution of field research, few discuss what researchers should do when they encounter sudden barriers to data collection.…”

Field research when there’s limited access to the field: Lessons from Japan

“…Although the barriers to fieldwork created by the COVID-19 pandemic have hindered and transformed political science field research, there are few primers on how researchers can adapt to and mitigate these challenges. Almost all existing guides about the pandemic's influence on fieldwork focus on the natural sciences (Al-Taweel et al 2020;Aubrey, Laverty, and Ma 2021;Corlett et al 2020;Douglas et al 2020;Peace, Gabriel, and Eyles 2021;Reid 2020;Scerri et al 2020;Wigginton et al 2020), in which challenges are substantial but often different than those faced by the social sciences (Howlett 2022; Krause et al 2021;Meza-Palmeros 2020). Furthermore, although there are numerous papers addressing best practices for the design and execution of field research, few discuss what researchers should do when they encounter sudden barriers to data collection.…”