Abstract
Abstract. Field experiences are a critical component of undergraduate geoscience education; however, traditional onsite field experiences are not always practical due to accessibility, and the popularity of alternative modes of learning in higher education is increasing. One way to support student access to field experiences is through virtual field trips, implemented either independently or in conjunction with in-person field trips. We created a virtual field trip (VFT) to Grand Ledge, a regionally important suite of sedimentary outcrops in central lower Michigan, USA. This VFT undertakes all stages of a field project, from question development and detailed observation through data collection to interpretation. The VFT was implemented in undergraduate sedimentation and stratigraphy courses at two different liberal arts institutions, with one version of the VFT conducted in-person and the other online. The VFT was presented from a locally hosted website and distributed through an online learning platform. Students completed a series of activities using field data in the form of outcrop photos, virtual 3D models of outcrops and hand samples, and photos of thin sections. Student products included annotated field notes, a stratigraphic column, a collaborative stratigraphic correlation, and a final written reflection. VFT assessment demonstrated that students successfully achieved the inquiry-oriented student learning outcomes, and student reflection responses provide anecdotal evidence that the field experience was comparable to field geology onsite. This VFT is an example of successful student learning in an upper-level sedimentation and stratigraphy course via virtual field experience with an emphasis on local geology.
Highlights
Introduction and motivationsField experiences for undergraduate geoscience students are key exercises in which students integrate classroom knowledge with real-world examples, implement skills, gain vocational experience and insight, and practice collaborating with a field team (Mogk and Goodwin, 2012; Petcovic et al, 2014)
The first part of the virtual field trip (VFT) was designed to orient students to time and place, establishing the background geology of the Paleozoic of the Michigan Basin and making connections to broader sedimentology and stratigraphy topics
The students used close-up photos tied to annotations on the 3D outcrop models (Fig. 2), 3D hand sample models and photos (Fig. 4), and thin sections made from the hand samples (Fig. 5)
Summary
Field experiences for undergraduate geoscience students are key exercises in which students integrate classroom knowledge with real-world examples, implement skills, gain vocational experience and insight, and practice collaborating with a field team (Mogk and Goodwin, 2012; Petcovic et al, 2014). Learning at Calvin is rooted in its Christian Reformed commitment, and in the study of geosciences at Calvin, we pursue intellectual efforts to explore our world’s beauty and engage in stewardship of Earth’s resources The objectives of this project included (1) giving students an opportunity to explore outcrops in detail, which is valuable as an independent virtual experience or as preparatory work for going out in the field, (2) creating an expandable structure, with future goals of incorporating subsurface data and samples from the Michigan Core Repository, (3) addressing issues of accessibility, disorientation, limited data, limited scales of data, and inflexible implementation, which can make some VFT experiences less holistic and satisfying than in-person field trips (e.g., Hall et al, 2004; Carabajal et al, 2017), and (4) thoroughly documenting to encourage the preservation of a suite of historically and geologically important Pennsylvanian outcrops in Grand Ledge, Michigan (e.g., Milstein, 1987a). 6. present final products and discuss observations and the strengths and weaknesses of different interpretations
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