The Benefits Of Virtual Field Trips – We all love these golden days of our school life with lots of classroom lessons and some fun field trips!
For most of us the memories of these educational trips are filled with joy. And we can still remember the first-hand learning we gained during those trips. A few decades old, these trips were primarily designed to enhance learning experiences beyond the classroom.
The Benefits Of Virtual Field Trips
As stakeholders, we agree that effective learning is not confined to the vicinity of a brick and mortar structure. Why today with 21
Benefits & Uses For Technology In The Classroom
What are the benefits of field visit and how can virtual field trips add more value to teaching and learning processes?
An educational trip or field visit is an excursion that gives first-hand information about a place, object, process, in the most authentic (real) environment. It is primarily used to deepen learning and help students research a topic in a dynamic environment.
Common purposes of a field visit include an in-depth/extensive learning of an archaeological, geological or field study. Some common examples of field trips for students include science labs, botanical gardens, museums, nature walks, world heritage sites, factories, geological sites, aquariums, zoos, planetariums, etc.
In this age of virtual learning, virtual field trips replicate the real world giving students a stimulating, immersive experience. But before we discuss more about virtual tours, let’s discuss the general importance of educational travel.
Benefits Of Augmented Reality
Field trips are a great way to add experiential learning elements to the teaching and learning process.
Field trips extend the scope of learning beyond books and lectures. These trips help students connect their learning meaningfully as they can apply the concepts learned in the real world environment. Imagine understanding the concept of gravity in a Science museum or planetarium, isn’t it more enriching for students than a simple classroom lecture?
When we organize student trips, we passively create opportunities for students to collaborate, solve problems, discover leadership skills, and unleash their creative side outside of the classroom. Field trips support student learning in a number of ways. It also gives better exposure to introverted students, thus helping them improve their social skills.
In this globalized world, our students must choose relevant skills (innovation, critical thinking, collaboration, adaptability and communication, etc.) that are beyond the conventional education system. And a well-planned field visit creates great opportunities to capitalize on all of this.
Pdf) The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Virtual Field Trips In Geoscience Education
Did you know that an online school develops a broader worldview and leads to success by developing cross-cultural understanding?
A regular classroom learning experience often does not stay long in a student’s memory. But this is not the case with educational tours. The memories (including learning) of these trips are imprinted in students’ minds as they are more engaging and often very relatable to them.
For example, it may be difficult for students to remember the facts of a historical event. However, the same events can be well remembered after a guided tour of a related monument. For students with extremely low attention spans, these field trip benefits can address even the most complex challenges (related to learning, focus, and retention).
After these points that explained the importance of field trip, let’s explore the world of virtual field trips created by online institutions.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Virtual Reality
Virtual field trips bring educational experiences right into the home. Additionally, these online alternatives reduce the cost, effort, and time required to plan field trips for students. The best part about these trips is that they provide an immersive learning opportunity for students who find it difficult to visit a location in person (due to geographic or physical barriers). Here’s a look at ways an online school incorporates these enrichment opportunities into virtual classrooms:
In an online learning environment, teachers are trained to incorporate these opportunities into their lesson planning. Educators/academics select appropriate online resources or applications and prepare a virtual travel experience using the common elements of lesson planning (testing prior knowledge, constructing new knowledge, questioning, assessing learning, etc.). This fair approach allows for a perfect learning journey experience with a combination of audio, graphics, simulations, video overviews and additional explanations to deepen learning.
Online schools recognize the importance of educational travel for students. And they go the extra mile to update their resources periodically as per any new/modified information.
Unlike a traditional school, online institutions have more creative ways to design virtual field trips for students. Online tutors are great collaborators and co-create virtual resources using their knowledge, expertise and data skills. From popular streaming platforms like YouTube to school-owned online resources, examples of superior teacher collaboration are visible across disciplines like Science, Geography and History, etc.
Benefits Of Augmented Reality In Education Infographic Template
These resources also incorporate the interdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning. Because the benefits of field trips (through collaboratively created resources) easily transcend the boundaries of a single academic space. For example, a tour related to urban planning also includes the history of the particular city/town/place, along with its geographical aspects, economic position, political stability and resource management, etc. areas and make it holistic in the true sense.
Interestingly, AR and VR are some of the popular trends among stakeholders (according to a survey). 41% of parents and 54% of teachers wanted to integrate them into education. Additionally, 75 to 90% of them believed that technology like these provide interactive learning opportunities, thereby improving retention rates.
Taking virtual tours also sparks interest and drives engagement through the power of technology. Online students can learn about remote wilderness areas of the world, get a close look at endangered species, visit historic sites of great significance, and delve into specific global issues. Homeschooling now has the support of AR, VR, subscriptions, apps in addition to teacher-created resources. Most educational experiences are now available with a few clicks. Like many tech giants (examples, Google Arts and Culture, Virtual Museums, etc.) they bring home their world-class resources.
Particularly in India, the best example of stakeholder collaboration to harness the power of technology is DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing) by NCERT. Teachers and students can access online content in 36 languages through this visionary government initiative.
Science Field Trips: Advantages And Critique
From information retention to joyful learning, the benefits of field trips are unparalleled in both traditional and virtual environments. However, like any other aspect of instructional design, it also requires careful analysis of the student’s learning needs, style, mastery levels (of the content), etc.
Get your students packing or just create an immersive field trip to add some memorable experiences to those precious school years.
Before you go, learn more about a new school trend that can lower the cost of the best quality education like never before! Virtual field trips are the smartest way to bring the world to your students without the cost and hassle of organizing a field trip.
Many of your students would never have the opportunity to go to interesting places outside of your home country.
Virtual Field Trip: Salem Witch Trials
Another benefit of virtual field trips for teachers like you is that the teaching experience is relaxing and enjoyable.
Let’s look at the advantages of virtual field trips with some great benefits you can get from using it as one of your lesson plans.
Not just words, let me show you some proven data from research.com that shows how effective field trips are
Not just about feeling amazing, most students learn better when the process goes by the term “Learn by having fun”
Rethinking Field Trips
Neurologist Judy Willis has shown how pleasurable experiences increase dopamine and endorphin levels in our brains.
Although virtual field trips can’t take your students to different places physically, they can make learning more engaging and hands-on.
When done well, virtual field trips can make students feel like they’re there, teach them new things, and get them excited about the subject.
Virtual tours allow students to customize and tailor the experience to suit their personal needs and preferred learning style. For example, students can often stop virtual activities or go through them at their own speed. Virtual fields can help students solve math problems by providing context-based interactive experiences and simplifying abstract concepts into understandable real-life situations
Virtual Reality Advantages And Disadvantages (2024)
You can read this research paper on the learning impact of VFT to gain a deeper understanding of how impactful learning VFT can bring to your classroom.
After reviewing several different research studies, scientists at the University of São Paulo found proof that virtual field trips can help teach students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Researchers have found that educational virtual reality provides significant benefits beyond just engagement. It resulted in improved skill-based learning outcomes, as well as better recall and comprehension of knowledge compared to non-VR settings.
If you can manage video conferencing on your field trip with platforms like Skype or social media channels, your students can post their queries and get real-time answers from the experts.
Technology Virtual Reality 10 Benefits Of Using Vr In The Classroom
Here, the benefit of virtual field trips for students is that it is a small step towards active learning.
Your students can see a