Project Investigator(s): Nina Hewitt, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts
Project Description
The COVID-19 pandemic forced teaching and learning everywhere online, disrupting field-based methods that have long been fundamental to science education. This move accentuated the need to compare the effectiveness of conventional and digitally facilitated field education. Before the pandemic, I created a virtual reality (VR) alpine ecosystem field trip for an advanced biogeography course and a self-guided augmented reality (AR) version of a conventional forest ecology field trip to a local forest reserve in a large undergraduate geoscience course. In March 2020 I created a Virtual Reality (VR) version of the latter trip. This project will evaluate the relative effectiveness of these conventional, AR and VR field learning tools using surveys, focus
groups and student performance data.
Research Questions
How do augmented and virtual reality field trips compare to traditional in-person field experiences (for GEOB 102) or to non-experiential, non-digital learning activities (for GEOB 307) in their ability to:
1) Replace or supplement traditional in-person field experiences;
2) Enhance learning outcomes, as measured by performance in relevant knowledge and skills domains (e.g., ecosystem processes and species identification);
3) Foster student engagement, as measured by relevant affective domains (e.g., enjoyment of learning, active participation and exploration of optional resources); and
4) Promote flexible learning environments (e.g., allowing students to decide among a variety of areas of inquiry)?
Impact on teaching and learning at UBC
This research will advance geoscience teaching and learning practice at UBC by 1) easing the first-year transition via innovative, engaging digital field experiences, 2) improving accessibility for students with mobility limitations (via VR) or language barriers (via the ability to revisit field trips and read narration transcripts) and for all students (via the ability to experience sites that are impractical to visit in person), and 3) promoting active learning (via the interactive, immersive nature of digital tours, with clickable hotspots that open images, videos, text, quizzes, etc). SoTL publications of project results will enable an impact beyond UBC.