The Use of “Virtual Field Trips” in the Electronic Classroom by D. E. Longer & Randy Gottfried

The Traditional Field Trip Advantages 1. On site learning 2. “Hands on” experience 3. Students get to miss 1 or 2 days of class Disadvantages 1. Takes much time 2. Can be very expensive 3. Students miss 1 or 2 days of class

The Problem How to enjoy the benefits of a field trip without actually taking one.

The Solution A “Virtual Field Trip”

What is a “Virtual Field Trip”? Not actually based on virtual reality A digital video sequence saved into an electronic memory such as a zip disk or cd rom Can be imbedded into an existing electronic presentation such as a Power point slide show Highly portable and easy to edit

What is Needed to Produce a “Virtual Field Trip”? A digital video camera A plan or script to follow during the recording session An electronic media package such as Windows Media Player Allows editing Organizes the slide presentation A lot of help from the Teaching Resource Center !

When is This Technique Most Useful ? When other support materials, i.e. text, lecture notes are lacking, When a change of pace is needed during a lecture, When additional expertise would be helpful, Added to course web site for review and study.

“Focus Questions” are prepared to help guide students through the virtual field trip, with focus on key points. “Focus Questions” Are Useful

How is a “Virtual Field Trip” Actually Used in a Class?

Future Plans Create a library of “Virtual Field Trips” Assess the need in my classes, Assess the needs of colleagues Establish a library on “Plant Science” web site for shared access Encourage other scientists the around country and world to contribute their own productions to our file We would catalog and provide downloading capabilites