| Title | Immersive Tools for Field-Based Geoscience Education in Large Undergraduate Courses: Pacific Spirit Forest Augmented Reality field trip and Alpine Ecosystem Virtual Reality tours |
|---|---|
| Faculty/College/Unit | Arts |
| Status | Completed |
| Duration | 3 Years |
| Initiation | 04/01/2019 |
| Completion | 04/01/2024 |
| Project Summary | Geoscience education is rooted in experiential, field-based learning. However, short class times, large student numbers, variable TA expertise and distance to field sites hinder outdoor education in large undergraduate courses. GEOS 102 Introduction to Climates and Ecosystems, for example, has just one field activity (to nearby Pacific Spirit Forest), which must be delivered in multiple 50-minute sections by TAs with varying knowledge. Immersive technology can overcome these challenges by using Augmented Reality (AR) in actual field trips and Virtual Reality (VR) for sites too remote to visit. This project will expand a self-guided, mobile app-assisted AR version of the existing Pacific Spirit Forest field trip and create a set of 360° virtual field trips to BC coastal forest and alpine ecosystems. Highlighting basic ecological concepts and human impacts, these tools will offer immersive, visually rich education about BC’s changing ecosystems suitable for use or emulation across undergraduate geoscience curricula. |
| Funding Details | |
| Year 1: Project Year | Year 1 |
| Year 1: Funding Year | 2019/2020 |
| Year 1: Project Type | Small TLEF |
| Year 1: Principal Investigator | Nina Hewitt |
| Year 1: Funded Amount | 17,036 |
| Year 1: Team Members | Nina Hewitt, Instructor, Geography, Faculty of Arts |
| Year 1: TLEF Showcase |  |
| Year 2: Project Year | Year 2 |
| Year 2: Funding Year | 2020/2021 |
| Year 2: Project Type | Small TLEF |
| Year 2: Principal Investigator | Nina Hewitt |
| Year 2: Funded Amount | 7,960 |
| Year 2: Team Members | Nina Hewitt, Instructor, Geography, Faculty of Arts |
| Year 3: Project Year | Year 3 |
| Year 3: Funding Year | 2022/2023 |
| Year 3: Project Type | Small TLEF |
| Year 3: Principal Investigator | Nina Hewitt |
| Year 3: Funded Amount | 4,000 |
| Year 3: Team Members | Nina Hewitt, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Geography, Faculty of Arts |
| Year 3: TLEF Showcase |  |
| Project Report | 2022-TLEF-Final-Report-Hewitt-WEB.pdf |