The Mid Atlantic Appalachian Orogen Traverse: a comparison  of virtual and on-location field-based capstone experiences

Whitmeyer, Steven J.; Fichter, Lynn S.; Marshall, Anita; Liddle, Hannah

doi:10.5194/se-12-2803-2021

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…Future research is needed to explore whether virtual field experiences [27,28,[34][35][36][37] and augmented reality [69,70] make it possible for learners to 'travel' to far-away places and use immersive tools for exploration. Educational research has shown the efficacy of immersive experiences and virtual field trips on student learning [27] and others have identified additional outcomes achieved by immersive virtual experiences including increased inclusion and access as compared to in-person field experiences [71,72] and increased engagement and interest to see a place one's never been to [27]. Virtual field experiences can provide the opportunity to engage in authentic activities, such as environments designed for teaching geologic field mapping (e.g., [73]).…”

Section: Why Is Fostering a Sense Of Place Important Especially For A...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Measuring novice-expert sense of place for a far-away place: Implications for geoscience instruction

Gold,

Geraghty Ward,

Marsh

et al. 2023

PLoS ONE

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Individuals usually develop a sense of place through lived experiences or travel. Here we introduce new and innovative tools to measure sense of place for remote, far-away locations, such as Greenland. We apply this methodology within place-based education to study whether we can distinguish a sense of place between those who have visited Greenland or are otherwise strongly connected to the place from those who never visited. Place-based education research indicates that an increased sense of place has a positive effect on learning outcomes. Thus, we hypothesize that vicarious experiences with a place result in a measurably stronger sense of place when compared to the sense of place of those who have not experienced the place directly. We studied two distinct groups; the first are people with a strong Greenland connection (experts, n = 93). The second are students who have never been there (novices, n = 142). Using i) emotional value attribution of words, ii) thematic analysis of phrases and iii) categorization of words, we show significant differences between novice’s and expert’s use of words and phrases to describe Greenland as a proxy of sense of place. Emotional value of words revealed statistically significant differences between experts and novices such as word power (dominance), feeling pleasantness (valence), and degree of arousal evoked by the word. While both groups have an overall positive impression of Greenland, 31% of novices express a neutral view with little to no awareness of Greenland (experts 4% neutral). We found differences between experts and novices along dimensions such as natural features; cultural attributes; people of Greenland; concerns, importance, or interest in and feeling connected to Greenland. Experts exhibit more complex place attributes, frequently using emotional words, while novices present a superficial picture of Greenland. Engaging with virtual environments may shift novice learners to a more expert-like sense of place, for a far-away places like Greenland, thus, we suggest virtual field trips can supplement geoscience teaching of concepts in far-away places like Greenland and beyond.

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Section: Why Is Fostering a Sense Of Place Important Especially For A...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Measuring novice-expert sense of place for a far-away place: Implications for geoscience instruction

Gold,

Geraghty Ward,

Marsh

et al. 2023

PLoS ONE

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“…VLEs expand the reach of physical geography education and research the ability of learners to build physical geography knowledge by exploring digital proxies of landscapes. VLEs expand the reach of physical geography education and research by increasing access to examples of physical fieldwork and field site locations [5,6]. Virtual proxies of field sites house readily accessible examples of iconic phenomena, such as glaciers (Glacier National Park), volcanic calderas (Yellowstone National Park), and canyons (Grand Canyon National Park), and the processes that form them, situated within the context of their natural environment.…”

Section: Introduction 1virtual Learning Experiences and Their Applica...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Designing Virtual Pathways for Exploring Glacial Landscapes of Glacier National Park, Montana, USA for Physical Geography Education

Gielstra,

Moorman,

Kelly

et al. 2024

Education Sciences

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Virtual field trips in physical geography transcend our human limitations regarding distance and accessibility, allowing students to experience exemplars of physical environments. These experiences can be critical for students to connect to the physical world beyond traditional classroom formats of communicating themes and features in physical geography. To maximize the learning potential of these experiences, designers must engage in a translational process to take resources and content from the physical world and migrate it to an online, virtual format. However, these virtual learning experiences need to account for how learners learn; and should draw heavily on the foundations of educational research and field sciences, while highlighting the awe and beauty of the natural landscape itself. Crafting these spatial stories of the natural world with learning elements requires careful and intentional design to maximize the perception of physical features, patterns, and processes at the landscape scale. To help field-trip developers comprehend the workflows used to create perceptible, rich environments that spur students’ learning, we propose a development process (TECCUPD) as a guide to navigate the intersection of education and science, using an example of geodiversity and alpine glacial landscapes found in Glacier National Park, Montana.

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Disability and postsecondary fieldwork experiences in the natural sciences: A systematic review

Chasen,

Chapman Tripp,

Borrego

2024

J Res Sci Teach

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We present a systematic review of 29 empirical studies on disability and fieldwork in natural science, postsecondary educational settings. Undergraduate students with disabilities are underrepresented in STEM, and disciplines requiring major field components are some of the least diverse, at least in part because fieldwork has been traditionally viewed as hard, physical, and masculine. Disability Studies in Education (DSE) frames the research questions, inclusion criteria and results. Studies were coded by disability model used, barriers and strategies to accessibility in field science, and meaningful involvement of persons with disabilities in research on fieldwork education. Although most studies asserted a view of disability as a social, cultural, and political phenomenon, some deficit language and interpretations persisted. Few studies included author positionality, and even fewer disclosed author disability status. The main instructional recommendations emphasize flexibility and adaptability, presuming student competence and making small‐scale changes consistently over time. Multiple studies emphasize the need for proactive planning, including robust contingency plans, and explaining how these plans can negate the need for complex modification. Twenty‐four additional non‐empirical studies are identified as resources for discipline‐specific guides and checklists for inclusive fieldwork. We conclude that important steps are being taken to investigate and critique barriers to fieldwork participation for students with disabilities, but there is still much work to be done in addressing systemic barriers beyond the control of individual instructors.

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The Mid Atlantic Appalachian Orogen Traverse: a comparison of virtual and on-location field-based capstone experiences

Cited by 4 publications

References 50 publications

Measuring novice-expert sense of place for a far-away place: Implications for geoscience instruction

Measuring novice-expert sense of place for a far-away place: Implications for geoscience instruction

Designing Virtual Pathways for Exploring Glacial Landscapes of Glacier National Park, Montana, USA for Physical Geography Education

Disability and postsecondary fieldwork experiences in the natural sciences: A systematic review

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