International Virtual Field Trips: A new direction?

Stainfield, John; Fisher, Peter; Ford, Bob; Solem, Michael

doi:10.1080/713677387

Cited by 168 publications

(154 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…The increased interactivity, use of technology, and opportunity for learning by doing provided by the new exercises are considered key causes of the positive student feedback and improved marks achieved by the students (Stainfield et al, 2000). Although the appeal of using the PDAs was undoubtedly high for the students, as with the interactive DVD, it is the enhanced interactivity and opportunity for "learning by doing" that are considered to be the driving forces behind the enthusiasm and success of the students.…”

Section: Discussion and Implications For Hydrology Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…McMorrow, 2005;Hirsch and Lloyd, 2005). This is because VFTs can be used to provide essential background information that may otherwise have to be delivered in the field (Stainfield et al, 2000). Similarly, learning tasks embedded in VFTs can be used for post-fieldwork revision, assessment or further study (e.g.…”

Section: G Kingston Et Al: Mobile Technologies and Virtual Fieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Experiences of using mobile technologies and virtual field tours in Physical Geography: implications for hydrology education

Kingston

Eastwood

Jones

et al. 2012

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. Education in hydrology is changing rapidly due to diversification of students, emergent major scientific and practical challenges that our discipline must engage with, shifting pedagogic ideas and higher education environments, the need for students to develop new discipline specific and transferrable skills, and the advent of innovative technologies for learning and teaching. This paper focuses on new technologies in the context of learning and teaching in Physical Geography and reflects on the implications of our experiences for education in hydrology. We evaluate the experience of designing and trialling novel mobile technology-based field exercises and a virtual field tour for a Year 1 undergraduate Physical Geography module at a UK university. The new exercises are based on using and obtaining spatial data, operation of meteorological equipment (explained using an interactive DVD), and include introductions to global positioning systems (GPS) and geographical information systems (GIS). The technology and exercises were well received in a pilot study and subsequent rolling-out to the full student cohort (∼150 students). A statistically significant improvement in marks was observed following the redesign. Although the students enjoyed using mobile technology, the increased interactivity and opportunity for peer learning were considered to be the primary benefits by students. This is reinforced further by student preference for the new interactive virtual field tour over the previous "show-and-tell" field exercise. Despite the new exercises having many advantages, exercise development was not trivial due to the high start-up costs, the need for provision of sufficient technical support and the relative difficulty of making year-to-year changes (to the virtual field tour in particular). Our experiences are highly relevant to the implementation of novel learning and teaching technologies in hydrology education.

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Section: Discussion and Implications For Hydrology Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: G Kingston Et Al: Mobile Technologies and Virtual Fieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experiences of using mobile technologies and virtual field tours in Physical Geography: implications for hydrology education

Kingston

Eastwood

Jones

et al. 2012

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Furthermore, while 21 of the 54 zoos examined provided dedicated "kid zones" on their websites; only 28.6% of this group took the opportunity to insert a clear conservation message in these zones. This is especially concerning as it ignores the concept that high quality experiential learning experiences occur most readily in unstructured spaces outside the traditional classroom (Lai, 1999;Stainfield et al 2000); a theory on which the justification of the potential for educational experiences in zoos is based.…”

Section: Entertainment Contentmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Public Face of Zoos: Images of Entertainment, Education and Conservation

2011

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Abstract:The contemporary justification for zoos is based on their ability to act as sites of wildlife conservation. Alongside this is the reality that zoos have historically been defined as sites for the entertainment of the general public and continue to be dependent on the revenue raised through visitor receipts. Consequently, zoos are, today, identified as sites of conservation, research, education, and entertainment. In recognition of this the aim of this paper is to assess the image that zoos are currently portraying to the general public to see how the different roles are advertised and how they sit alongside one another. The data for the research on which this paper is based was gathered via a content and semiotic analysis of the websites of 54 zoos spread throughout the world.The results indicate that the image zoos present to the public whilst incorporating a strong conservation message lacks depth. In addition, the image zoos present via their websites has a strong emphasis on entertainment. Based on the results of this paper it is suggested that zoos need to present their conservation credentials in more detail and ensure the entertainment message does not adversely affect transmission of the conservation or education one whilst at the same time continuing to attract sufficient visitors to ensure the economic viability of zoos.In addition, it is recognized that changing public perceptions of zoos requires these institutions to act together rather than independently when determining the overarching theme of the "zoo".

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“…Examples of enhancement include preparing for a real field trip (Priestnall, 2009), aiding data collation in the evenings of a residential course (Dykes et al, 1999) and student-produced VFTs as a reporting medium (Eusden et al, 2012). VFTs have also been suggested as solutions to problems such as accessibility for disabled students (Stumpf et al, 2008); health and safety issues (Stainfield et al, 2000) and locations that are impractical to physically visit (Granshaw & Duggan-Haas, 2012). …”

Section: ] Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Footprints in the sky: using student track logs from a “bird's eye view” virtual field trip to enhance learning

Treves

Viterbo

Haklay

2015

Journal of Geography in Higher Education

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Research into Virtual Field Trips (VFTs) started in the 1990s but, only recently, the maturing technology of devices and networks has made them viable options for educational settings. By considering an experiment, the learning benefits of logging the movement of students within a VFT are shown. The data is visualised by two techniques: "Animated Path Maps" are dynamic animations of students' movement in a VFT; "Paint Spray Maps" show where students concentrated their visual attention and are static. A technique for producing these visualisations is described and the educational use of tracking data in VFTs is critically discussed.

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International Virtual Field Trips: A new direction?

Cited by 168 publications

References 5 publications

Experiences of using mobile technologies and virtual field tours in Physical Geography: implications for hydrology education

Experiences of using mobile technologies and virtual field tours in Physical Geography: implications for hydrology education

The Public Face of Zoos: Images of Entertainment, Education and Conservation

Footprints in the sky: using student track logs from a “bird's eye view” virtual field trip to enhance learning

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