Virtual field trips: what do we mean? Thanks to the use of video, XR, 360° and other AV technologies students can learn by means of real-time or recorded, interactive experiences on site. Students explore distant locations and engage with experts on site without leaving their classroom or study room. In this event, we looked at some virtual field trips, delved into the technical aspects that make these virtual tours possible, explored how students learn, discussed lessons learned from practitioners, and practical advice for educators to effectively integrate virtual field trips into the teaching and learning practices.
Featured field trip “The Ilkley Moore Virtual Field Trip Showcase”
“The Ilkley Moore Virtual Field Trip Showcase” by Matthew Wilson, Digital Production Lead University of Leeds (UK)
Questions from the audience
What was the size limit!?
Answer (Matt Wilson):
Unfortunately, I cannot remember the exact total size limit and never quite got that number, but I would estimate around 25GB based on the number of videos in the final resource.
Do they enter the room with a specific assignment?
Answer (Matt Wilson):
Before students went on the in-person field trip, they were briefed about their assignment, which was a written paper. In terms of using the resource (VR or browser), there was no specific assignment—students used it for revision or to revisit the site.
Hi Matt, nice work! How does CenarioVR compare to ThingLink software?
Answer (Matt Wilson):
Personally, I find CenarioVR better for creating virtual field trips. ThingLink is good for linear tours with interactivity, but CenarioVR offers immersive navigation, where you can set points of view depending on the direction entered from.
Featured field trip “The Jordan Valley Tour”
“The Jordan Valley Tour” by Pim van Schöll, Instructional Designer, Educational Media, Teaching and Learning Centre, Wageningen University & Research (The Netherlands)
A virtual tour has been created for the Water System Design course, with interview videos fromstakeholders in the Jordan Valley and 360-degree footage shot on location. This virtual tour “the casestudy area” aims to prepare our students for facing complex multidisciplinary design challenges in theirfuture work environment by providing a digital version of a real-life setting.
Questions from the audience
What did the local experts think of the resulting field trip materials?
Answer (Pim van Schöll, WUR):
At least one local expert received calls from students during the design challenge and was happy to help. Local experts felt taken seriously, but I am unsure of their reactions to the design outcomes.
For Pim: Did the constraints imposed on you prove to be a creative prompt in the end?
Answer (Pim van Schöll, WUR):
Yes, it made me rethink my own structures and come up with different solutions.
Hi Pim! Are you satisfied with the possibilities of H5P, or are there things missing that could have added value for this field trip?
Answer (Pim van Schöll, WUR):
We used H5P because it was available, and it did the job. I was definitely missing options (especially in design and usability), but the limitations also helped us stay focused on the main goal: combining all the videos in that interactive map.
Learn more – https://wur.yuja.com/v/jordanvalleytour
Featured field trip “Fieldcasts: A flexible format for fieldwork at a distance”
“Fieldcasts: A flexible format for fieldwork at a distance” by Dr Trevor Collins, Senior Research Fellow, Knowledge Media Institute, The Open University (UK)
In this part of the seminar we will look at how video streaming and
network technologies can be used to provide remote access to field sites that
enable students and lecturers to work together to plan and complete field
investigations. We will discuss some of the technology options we have used
across a range of field courses and the teaching strategies we applied.
Recording 🎥
Moderator: Mathy Vanbuel, ATiT, Belgium
