16 Teaching the Geology of Western North America

Tuesday, 20 May 2014
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Reid Hall 108

VIRTUAL FIELD GEOLOGICAL EXPLORATION IN THE GRAND CANYON AND BEYOND

Paper number: 16-2
Program: Theme Sessions
Time: 8:20 AM – 8:40 AM

Authors

Abstract

The emerging landscape of digital Virtual Field Trip (VFT) technology enables geoscience teachers to take whole classrooms into geologically significant but remote or inaccessible regions, overcoming obstacles of distance, hazards, cost, time, and logistics. Integrating VFTs into cyberlearning environments affords students an infrastructure that enables them to do authentic field science in the classroom. Using advanced hardware and software tools such as robotic Gigapan systems, cameras with advanced spherical tripod heads, unmanned aerial vehicles, seamless 360-degree digital video, and unique software for online dissemination mechanisms, students are presented with engaging and rich educational experiences. A key objective of ongoing research, development, and authentic evaluation of VFTs is to deliver geoscience content to diverse audiences, including STEM teachers, informal educators, and students across multiple grade levels.

Our team has selected a number of exemplary geological localities for VFT development and research aimed at the educational impact on both college level learning objectives and high school common core standards. Among regions for which we have previously developed VFTs, such as the Pilbara region of Australia, we are working in the world-renowned geological landscape encoding Earth-system processes from the Paleoproterozoic to the Holocene as seen within the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon VFT will demonstrate how the rocks, landforms, and processes can be used to teach about geologic time, stratigraphy, tectonics, and Earth and life history. Each of the learning outcomes can be readily aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards and the Earth Science Literacy Principles. In tandem with developing and implementing the VFT, our team is researching the comparative outcomes of in-person and virtual field activities on learning and on novelty space. VFT technology offers a tantalizing opportunity to contribute to scientific literacy in particular and geoscience literacy in general.