Comparison of in-person and virtual Grand Canyon undergraduate field trip learning outcomes

Abstract

Field learning is fundamental in geoscience, but cost, accessibility, and other constraints limit equal access to these experiences. As technological advances afford ever more immersive and student-centered virtual field experiences, they are likely to have a growing role across geoscience education. They also serve as an important tool for providing high-quality online instruction, whether to fully online degree students, students in hybrid in-person/remote programs, or students experiencing disruptions to in-person learning, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. This mixed-methods study compared learning outcomes of an in-person (ipFT) and a virtual (iVFT) geoscience field trip to Grand Canyon National Park, each of which highlighted the Great Unconformity. Participants included introductory and advanced geology students. In the ipFT, students collectively explored the Canyon through the interpretive Trail of Time along the Canyon rim, guided by the course instructor. In the iVFT, students individually explored the Canyon and studied its geology at river level. 360° spherical images anchor the iVFTs and serve as a framework for programmed overlays that enable active learning and allow for adaptive feedback. We assessed cognitive and affective outcomes in both trips using common measures. Regression analysis showed the iVFT to be associated with significantly greater learning gains. The ipFT students had significantly higher positive affect scores pre-trip, reflecting their excitement for the trip. Overall, our results provide clear evidence that high-quality iVFTs can lead to better learning gains than ipFTs. Although field trips are employed for more than just content learning, this finding may encourage greater use of iVFTs in coursework.

Keywords:

• Virtual environments
• virtual field trips
• online learning
• field learning

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the Center for Education Through Exploration at ASU and particularly Geoffrey Bruce for the design, creation, and web-hosting of the Grand Canyon iVFT used in this study. We acknowledge Dr. Karl Karlstrom and Dr. Laura Crossey of the University of New Mexico for their contributions to the iVFT. We also acknowledge the Trail of Time development team led by Dr. Karlstrom, funded by the National Science Foundation and supported by the National Park Service. Finally, we thank the two anonymous reviewers and journal editors for their comments and suggestions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Funding

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (Grant Nos. 1225741, PI Anbar, and 2110775, PI Mead), the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (PI Anbar), and NASA Science Mission Directorate’s Science Activation Program (Award #NNX16AD79G S01, PI Anbar). The authors have no financial interest or benefit arising from this research.