Enhancing geoscience education through immersive virtual field trips: Student perspectives and implications for broadening participation

Abstract

Despite the essential role of traditional, in-person field trips to geoscience education, the financial, time, and physical requirements can hinder accessibility, perpetuating exclusion within the field. In response, educators are exploring virtual field trips as potentially more inclusive alternatives. While the cognitive impacts of both traditional, in-person and virtual trips have been extensively studied, their effects on students’ affective domain remain underexplored. Therefore, we conducted an immersive virtual field trip exploratory case study, and focused on its impact on students’ perspectives using semi-structured interviews. Our results reveal a positive reception to the immersive virtual field trip, with eight participants expressing satisfaction with the technological capabilities, usability, and immersive experience. Participants noted immersion levels like those of traditional, in-person field trips and voiced support for immersive virtual trips as viable alternatives to traditional, in-person field trips. These findings suggest that immersive virtual field trips might positively shape students’ perceptions of geoscience and its accessibility. By providing immersive and engaging experiences, virtual field trips can contribute to broadening participation in the field, thereby challenging the notion of who belongs in geoscience and opening accessibility for both students and instructors alike.