Virtual Field Experiences Research Articles

The Impact of Virtual Field Experiences on CTE Preservice Teacher Identity Development

Teacher education programs help preservice teachers develop their identities through various curricular practices, including field experiences. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted teacher education programs as they were pressed to coordinate virtual field experiences. This intrinsic case study explored how virtual field experiences coupled with structured reflection practices shaped teacher identity development of preservice Career and Technical Education (CTE) students at the sophomore and senior levels. CTE preservice teachers were selected for this study due to the inherent nature of CTE teachers to include technical and hands-on learning. Qualitative analysis of student check-in meeting reflections revealed four themes: (1) Prior field experiences shaped attitude and approach to the virtual environment; (2) Initial reluctance gave way to envisioned success; (3) The virtual environment changes relationships; (4) Additional opportunities for critical reflection contributed to building CTE teacher identity. Quantitative data from post-experience surveys indicated the impact of virtual field experiences on certain components of teacher identity and efficacy. Recommendations for practice include helping preservice teachers develop skills and confidence regarding the development of student-to-teacher relationships and providing future preservice teachers with brief, high-quality virtual field experiences to better prepare them for the changing landscape of education.

Using an Online Assessment Tool to Teach Authentic Assessment to Early Childhood Teacher Candidates

Early childhood teacher candidates (TCs) need preparatory experiences using authentic assessments to inform their instructional practices with rural learners and their families. The shift to virtual field placements in response to COVID-19 restrictions pushed faculty in teacher preparation programs to reimagine how to engage TCs in meaningful experiences using authentic assessments with children and families. This study explores how TCs experienced authentic assessment practices using an online assessment management system, Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System Interactive (AEPS i), during virtual field experiences. Fifty-five undergraduate and graduate TCs from 11 universities (10 U.S. & 1 international) completed a 45-item survey about their experience. Teacher candidates articulated knowledge and skills aligned with best practices underpinning authentic assessments. The virtual learning environment created opportunities for faculty to reimagine practices for promoting TCs’ understandings of assessment in early childhood special education contexts. We discuss implications for training TCs in rural areas to use authentic assessment.

Content-area teacher candidates’ identity work in an online teacher education course

In an increasingly diverse U.S. classroom landscape, it is crucial to prepare teachers to meet the needs of multilingual learners. However, institutional constraints and a lack of empirical research have left many content-area teachers underprepared in this area. In this study, we explore how 15 content-area teacher candidates (TCs) constructed their professional identities in a sheltered instruction methods course at a Hispanic-serving university in the southwestern U.S. We conducted deductive analysis of participants' coursework (e.g., short essay responses, discussion board posts, and virtual field experience assignments) by using Clarke's (2009) four axes of identity development (telos, authority sources, substance, self-practices). Our findings demonstrated the complex interplay of the four axes in TCs' identity work, which led us to offer a more dynamic, contextually-bound modification of Clarke's framework. The findings call for teacher educators internationally to pedagogize identity by creating classroom spaces in which TCs view their professional learning as part of their identity work and critically reflect on their identities as teachers of multilingual learners.

How college geoscience instructors report finding and implementing virtual field experiences for their courses

Virtual field experiences (VFEs) are augments to traditional fieldwork in the geosciences that are seeing increasing use in college courses. However, VFEs that are not easily located and implemented in courses by geoscience instructors have little to no value. This qualitative, descriptive study engaged five focus groups of U.S. college geoscience instructors from diverse institutions to investigate how they search for, select, and implement VFEs in their courses. Each 1-to-1.5-h focus group session of 3–7 participants was recorded on video-conferencing software and transcribed for analysis. Findings suggest that instructors consider a wide range of digital resources to be VFEs, including YouTube videos, GigaPans, photos, and websites, as well as open educational resources such as immersive virtual field trips. Instructors invest significant time to search for and adapt VFEs to meet their course needs because most available VFEs, although offering quality content, do not closely target instructors’ learning goals. Instructors recognize that VFEs provide opportunities for students who may not otherwise be able to go into the field, and often find the resources they intend to use through their professional networks. Results of this study may help other instructors search for and implement VFEs more effectively, and may help VFE developers understand what instructors want from VFEs, thereby enabling them to design more flexible and adaptive resources and market their products in places more easily accessible by instructors.

Pre-Service Teachers’ Impressions and Experiences of Virtual Practicum Teaching in the United Arab Emirates

The COVID-19 global pandemic forced some teacher training institutions to implement unprecedented pedagogical strategies, which include conducting virtual practicum teaching. It was a challenge for pre-service teachers as they did not have experience in online teaching and learning, let alone conducting virtual field experiences. The objectives of the study were to explore pre-service teachers' initial pedagogic impressions and experiences of their first week of virtual practicum teaching in kindergarten classrooms with children aged 4-5 years old, which is the first year of formal schooling in the UAE. The study was conducted using a qualitative case study within an interpretive paradigm. Guided by Gibb’s reflective cycle as a theoretical framework, 20 pre-service teachers were purposively selected in the study to complete an open-ended questionnaire. The results showed that pre-service teachers achieved more than they anticipated as they made enlightening observations and had successful hands-on pedagogical activities. The study concludes that the reinforcement of problem-solving skills is inevitable among pre-service teachers, enabling them to use their higher-order thinking skills to adjust and adapt to any teaching and learning approach.

Achieving Desired Student Outcomes in Virtual Field Experiences Through Attention to Design Considerations: A Delphi Study

Achieving Desired Student Outcomes in Virtual Field Experiences Through Attention to Design Considerations: A Delphi Study

Investigate pre-service teachers’ learning behaviors and their relationship with academic performance through LMS log data

Learning Management Systems (LMS) have been widely used by many universities to support teaching and learning. Extensive research has shown that LMS usage patterns are associated with learners’ outcomes, however, related studies from the pre-service teachers’ perspective are limited. This paper aims to further explore the association between pre-service teachers' LMS patterns and their learning outcomes using a quantitative method. After examining 172 pre-service teachers’ LMS log data and performance, the findings show that times participated and assignment on time percent are significant predictors of their grades. Moreover, pre-service teachers demonstrated distinct LMS behavioral patterns in LMS when engaging with the Virtual Field Experience theme. The findings provide insights into future curriculum and course designs to better support pre-service teachers.

It’s All in the Design - the Learning Design: Comparing Active Learning Affordances within VLEs

Using a cross-case thematic comparison of Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) studies we focused on distinctions among student reactions to validate the design of a browser-based virtual field experience. Results show that addressing higher-order learning through a given technology in the learning design creates comparable student responses to those received from more immersive experiences. This suggests that more democratized

“We were able to get creative”: Examining virtual field experiences during literacy instruction with preservice teachers

Field experiences are an integral part of teacher education programs because they provide preservice teachers with an opportunity to put the theory, they are learning in their university classrooms into practice. The purpose of this research study was to explore the preservice teachers’ virtual field experiences at two universities during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to identify the practices that inform teacher educators’ and course developers’ practices to provide effective and cohesive virtual field experiences. Twenty-seven preservice teachers participated in this study. Results of the study showed that preservice teachers identified experiences with new literacies (technologies), teacher educator’s role, video analysis, assignments, and working with a cooperating teacher (CT)as valuable in virtual field experiences.

Assessing motivations, benefits, and barriers of implementing virtual field experiences in geoscience-related disciplines

Outdoor field experiences have long been part of the traditional curriculum in geoscience-related disciplines and are considered a key aspect of professional development in these areas. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancelation of many field excursions around the world, geoscience departments were forced to make abrupt changes to the ways students would be introduced to field study. Virtual field experiences, which were often utilized prior to COVID-19 in a variety of ways, including preparation for in-person fieldwork, increasing student interest, and increasing student accessibility, were developed and employed as alternative options to in-person field experiences. This embedded mixed-methods study used open, hierarchical coding schemes with referential category structure to code open-ended survey responses from 89 department heads and 27 instructors in geoscience-related departments across the U.S. The study was aimed at better understanding acceptance and familiarity with VFEs, motivations for use, and the benefits and barriers encountered during development and implementation. Binary quantitative data was collected to identify institution type, familiarity with, and motivation for the use of VFEs. Opportunities for student diversity, inclusion, and access for students from historically underrepresented groups (BIPOC, disabled students, women, and LGBTQ + students) were the most immediate benefits recognized. The most often cited barriers were time, skills, and resources needed to create VFEs and put them to use. As VFEs have been utilized in a variety of ways before and during COVID-19, it has become increasingly necessary to discuss the roles they will play going forward in academic and professional geoscience-related spaces.

Evaluation of the virtual field experience training program accompanied with simulation for students who cannot complete clinical practice training during the pandemic process: A retrospective review (Etlik Zübeyde Hanım Gynecology Training and Research Hospital Online Education Model Example)

Bu çalışma 20 Ekim 2020 / 25 Mart 2021 tarihleri arasında uzaktan eğitim kararının verildiği pandemi dönemde saha deneyimi olumsuz etkilenen ebelik bölümü öğrencileri için planlanmıştır. Öğrencilerin öğrenme yaşantılarına ve mesleki becerilerine olumlu yönde katkı sağlamak amaçlanmıştır. Planlanan uygulama sanal eğitim ortamında gerçekleştirilmiştir. Etlik Zübeyde Hanım Kadın Hastalıkları Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi (EZEAH) ve Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Gülhane Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi Ebelik Bölümü işbirliği ile başlatılmıştır. “Simülasyon Eşliğinde Sanal Sınıf Akademisi” adı verilen bu uygulama EZEAH bünyesinde iki üniversitenin Ebelik Bölümü öğrencileri ile farklı zamanlarda çevrim içi olarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Üçüncü ve dördüncü sınıf ebelik bölümü öğrencilerinin eğitim müfredatları esas alınmış, program 5 ana başlık ve 20 alt başlıktan oluşturulmuştur. Her bir program 5 hafta sürmüştür. Programda eğitim yöntemi olarak gerçeğe uygun senaryolar ve vakalar, simülasyon maketleri, eğitici drama ve gerçek klinik ortamda çekilen videolar kullanılmıştır. 20 konu başlığı doğum öncesi dönem %40 (n=8), doğum eylemi ve yönetimi %46 (n=9), doğum sonrası dönem %14(n=3) şeklinde kategorize edilmiştir. Her eğitim sonrasında geri bildirimler sanal ortamda sözel ve yazılı olarak alınmıştır. Program kapsamında toplam 12 eğitimci görev almış, eğitim sonunda ise toplam 200 öğrenciye sanal eğitim ortamında ulaşılmıştır. EZEAH ebelik öğrencilerinin klinik uygulamasına önemli ölçüde destek veren bir kurumdur. Pandemi süreci ile ebelik öğrencilerinin klinik uygulamaları ve kazanımları olumsuz etkilenmiştir. Bu bağlamda hastanemiz ebelik öğrencilerinin eğitim sürecini destekleyerek, çevrim içi ortamda gerçeğe uygun senaryolar eşliğinde sanal interaktif eğitim ortamını oluşturmuştur. Bu dönemde ebelik öğrencilerinin klinik ile buluşması sağlanarak, uygulamayı destekleyen güvenilir ve sürdürülebilir sağlık hizmeti sunumuna katkı sağlayacak bir eğitim modeli geliştirilmiştir.

DEVELOPING VIRTUAL FIELD EXPERIENCES TO PROMOTE STUDENT’S LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE: BRIDGING LEARNING GAPS IN SCIENCE

This descriptive study determines the relationship between the utilization of virtual field experience and students learning and performance. Fifty-four (54) purposively selected students from grade 4 at Cale Elementary School. It aimed to answer the questions such as the level of virtual field experiences of students, the level of students learning, the level of students performance and the between virtual field experiences and students learning and performance. The following were the significant findings of the investigation: In terms of level of virtual field experiences of students, findings show that all the indicators as to of virtual, immersive, interactive, investigative, engaging, experiential and collaborative field are verbally interpreted as “very high”. In addition, in terms of the level of students learning, findings show that item indicators as to discovery, social and constructive learning are verbally interpreted as “very high”. However as to multisensory learning is verbally interpreted as high”. Moreover, in terms of students performance as to pretest and post-test is perceived with significant difference. Furthermore, findings present the significant relationship between the contactless interactions to the students remote learning tasks. instruction is observed to have a significant weak relationship with the performance tasks motor and sports skills, and knowledge (r=0.283), and aesthetic sensitivity. Lastly, finding presents the weak negative correlation between virtual field experience in terms of virtual, immersive, interactive, investigative, experiential and collaborative field on students learning and performance. The results indicate that majority of the p-values are lower than the level of significance (α = 0.05) hence, the null hypothesis is rejected. Therefore, there is a negative relationship between the virtual field experiences and students learning and performance as perceived by the respondents. However, the results indicate that in terms of engaging field, f the p-values are higher than the level of significance (α = 0.05) hence, the null hypothesis is accepted. Therefore, there is no significant relationship between the virtual field experiences and students learning and performance in terms of Engaging as perceived by the respondents. The study shows that in almost all item indicators in terms of virtual, immersive, interactive, investigative, experiential and collaborative field, except engaging field that there is a significant relationship between the virtual field experiences and students learning and performance. The researcher then come up to the conclusion that the null hypothesis is “partially rejected”. It is highly suggested that classrooms may have technology-based classrooms for modifications and improvement for the instruction use so that students will be able to develop engagement and clearly understand the concepts. It is recommended that the performance monitoring may focus on the students needs and enable them to learn. Furthermore, teachers may also emphasize the value of learning science concepts and promotes its importance for the learners. Enhancement program and/or extended activities may help them to fully understand the help of science in their daily lives. Grade 4 students may not that inclined to classroom tasks and activities, so that it is highly recommended to provide engaging resources and instructional materials wherein their can exhibit their academic skills Lastly, they may find the meaning of science concepts out of the context if they can experience more hands on activities.

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

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.

The Impact of Virtual Field Experience during COVID 19 on Preservice English Language Teachers’ Classroom Management Perceptions and Concerns

The Impact of Virtual Field Experience during COVID 19 on Preservice English Language Teachers’ Classroom Management Perceptions and Concerns

Faculty Perceptions of Virtual Field Experience Placement in a Teacher Preparation Program in the UAE

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine faculty perceptions of virtual field placement of preservice teachers at a university in the United Arab Emirates and to explore the factors that promote or hinder the success of this experience. Vygotsky’s concept of scaffolding was used as the theoretical framework of this study and to explain the faculty’s engagement with the field placement experience. Background: The global pandemic of COVID-19 has affected the provision of teacher education programs around the world. It forced many universities to implement emergency remote teaching strategies including virtual field experiences. Methodology: Considering the novelty of this phenomenon, an exploratory qualitative research design was followed to arrive at an in-depth description of the faculty’s perceptions. A convenience sampling, which is characterized by the deliberate targeting of information-rich participants, was used to select five faculty members who supervised 40 Emirati preservice teachers during their virtual field experience. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Contribution: The framework put forth in this study could serve as a guideline for teacher education programs, especially field experience preparation. Findings: It was found that faculty had different perceptions of virtual field experiences. Although preservice teachers were faced with unprecedented virtual field experiences, collaboration with different stakeholders helped them achieve the learning outcomes. A main drawback of the virtual field experience, however, impacted preservice Emirati teachers’ motivation about online teaching. Recommendations for Practitioners: Preservice teachers’ technological skills should be reinforced and built to enable purposeful and practical technological integration in the teaching and learning process. Therefore, a holistic inclusion of all stakeholders’ approach is needed to upskill and develop the competencies of all parties involved in the process taking into consideration a more enriching collaborative manner. Such a redesign should be examined to assess its validity and efficiency on a wider and more diverse sample to ensure its reliability and success. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers are recommended to explore the impact of virtual field experience on young children learning and engagement by including all stakeholders involved in the teaching and learning process, especially young students’ parents since findings showed that children under the age of eight are at a disadvantage in online learning. Impact on Society: Implications of the findings of this study show that sustainable virtual field experiences can be attained through a collaborative approach. Collaboration is essential as it enables preservice teachers to succeed in implementing inclusive pedagogical approaches. Future Research: Further studies can enrich the findings of this paper by expanding the collected data to provide deeper and more generalizable results. For example, virtual student teachers’ and school students’ scores should be collected and compared to face-to-face scores in order to assess and evaluate the learning itself.

Examining elementary preservice teachers’ self-efficacy and satisfaction in online teaching during virtual field experience

The global pandemic of COVID-19 has forced many learning institutions to close or switch to remote learning as a preventative measure to reduce the spread of the virus. The greatest challenge was with practical courses where preservice teachers had to promptly acquire technological skills and online teaching pedagogies as part of their virtual field experience. This need for learning and applying online pedagogies and technological competencies to increase student performance can lead to different perceptions of self-efficacy in online teaching. The purpose of this study is to examine the predictors for enhancing preservice teachers’ self-efficacy and satisfaction in online teaching and to investigate the association of their self-efficacy beliefs and their satisfaction with online teaching. Elementary preservice teachers (n = 257) from two teacher preparation programs in two universities in the United Arab Emirates completed a 5-point Likert scale survey. Results revealed that participants reported a high level of self-efficacy and satisfaction in online teaching mainly regarding their abilities to engage students in online classrooms and use of computers/educational technology. Students’ technological knowledge was strongly correlated with participants self-efficacy beliefs. Interestingly, results showed that preservice teachers who have beginner experience in teaching scored significantly higher on their self-efficacy than those with moderate and advanced experience.

Virtual field experiences in a web-based video game environment: open-ended examples of existing and fictional field sites

Abstract. We present two original, video-game-style field geology experiences designed to allow flexible, open-ended exploration for geologic mapping and structural geology. One simulation features the Whaleback anticline, a site in central Pennsylvania (USA), with a three-dimensional exposure of a 30 m high fold, based on a terrain model that was acquired through structure-from-motion photogrammetry. The second example is a fictional location with simplified geology, which was built with digital modeling software and inspired by the geology of northwestern Washington. Users move through the terrain, as if in the field, selecting where to make observations of the geologic structure. Additionally, these virtual field experiences provide novel visualization opportunities through tools like a geodetic compass that instantly plots data to a stereonet and a jetpack simulation, which allows the user to interrogate geologic surfaces in hard-to-reach locations. We designed the virtual field experiences in a widely used video-game-creation software and published the field simulations for access via the internet and common web browsers so that no special hardware or software is required to play. We implemented these field simulations to partially replace field and lab exercises in two different courses offered remotely through the University of Washington Department of Earth and Space Sciences, with assignments that address many of the learning goals of traditional in-person exercises. Because the virtual field experiences are open-ended, other instructors can design different exercises to meet different learning goals. While this game environment currently serves as an enhancement to remote education, this format can also augment traditional educational experiences, overcoming several challenges to accessing the field or particular outcrops and, thereby, broadening opportunities for participation and scientific collaboration.

The Structural Geology Query Toolkit for digital 3D models: Design custom immersive virtual field experiences

We introduce the Structural Geology Query Toolkit to enable geoscientists to produce bespoke video-game-style field experiences from their own 3D digital outcrop models. Beyond simple visualization, these tools permit users to query the digital model and extract structural data. The set of original pre-coded modules and detailed instructions includes visualization and tools that reproduce the experience of being at an outcrop with a measuring tape and a geodetic compass, with the added ability to fly over the outcrop, annotate the rock face, and instantly visualize topographic profiles and measured orientations on a stereonet. Data can be exported for further analysis with other software. The features of a virtual field experience are customizable and can be based on digital models of any scale. We selected the free, industry-standard Unity game engine so that the virtual field experience can be built to share on the internet or as free-standing applications for desktop computers, mobile devices, or virtual reality headsets. Our Toolkit is free and open source; we encourage collaboration and additional contributions to the tool library. The resulting virtual field experiences can enhance scientific collaboration, geoscience education and educational equity, and geoheritage preservation efforts.

Incorporating instructional design to pre-service online teaching English as a Foreign Language in Moodle.

Implementing virtual field experiences for online language learning has long been recommended as part of an early English language teachers’ preparation, by authors like Compton and more recently Ottenbreit-Leftwich et al. This article reports a case study whose general objective was to obtain theoretical and practical experience elements, for the design and implementation of a didactic sequence for online teaching of English as a foreign language (EFL), B1 level in a course hosted in Moodle. A preliminary research cycle, where a group of experts in online learning was interviewed (n=11), helped a pre-service teacher to do further documentary research to learn about the concept of instructional design. The result was designing and implementing a didactic sequence for a university English language course following David Merrill’s Model of instructional design. This way the pre-service language teacher identified and practiced the necessary knowledge and basic skills for online language learning and teaching via Moodle, as well as the interactions and roles that were promoted. Finally, awareness was also raised about the need of incorporating content and activities that better account for the needs posed by different ability levels in the classroom.

An Alternative Early Field Experience for Physical Education Teacher Preparation

Implementation of early field experiences is a required component in nearly all teacher education programs because of the first-hand training in real-world situations that complement classroom learning. It is through the experiences that pre-service teachers have the platform to develop and demonstrate their competency in content knowledge, pedagogical skills, and professional dispositions. However, the onset of COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible to set up in-person early field experiences. The purpose of this study was to (a) describe an alternative early field experience planned and implemented to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions, (b) document what the participants learned throughout the experience, and (c) provided university faculty with suggestions for virtual early field experiences. Nineteen students enrolled in a 200-level physical education teacher education activity class in the Spring of 2021 submitted 10 weekly reports after watching self-selected videos that were related to soccer and volleyball. The duration of each video submission was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Data analyzed using the standard interpretive methods revealed three main themes. To identify their content knowledge acquisition, the participants described historical facts, abridged rules and regulations, sport-specific skills, strength and conditioning exercises, and tactical moves and team strategies. They also made game-related observations on the players, teams, and officials. Lastly, entertainment value was highlighted as a result of the freedom to choose the videos they were interested in. Suggestions for incorporating this early field experience and future research directions were discussed.