Final Draft IJWC Fall 2022 copy 62 International Journal of the Whole Child 2022, VOL. 7, NO. 2 Tech Talk Destination Adventure: Virtual Field Trips that Won’t Disappoint! Nancy Caukina aNorth Greenville University Nancy Caukin, Ed.D. is the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs at North Greenville University.  She began her career working in outdoor education before her fifteen-year tenure as a high school science teacher. She has been a teacher educator in higher education since 2013. Her research interests include teacher candidate beliefs and sense of self-efficacy. She is on a journey of being an EdTech learner along with her teacher candidates.  Abstract Who doesn’t love going on an adventure, seeing new sights, observing rare occurrences, talking to people from far away, and experiencing new things? Imagine the thrill students can have with doing things not before possible, all while deeply engaged and mastering academic standards. What about taking a trip to the Louvre in France, learning about corals in the Caribbean Sea, investigating ecosystems in Colorado, or learning about engineering by visiting an Amazon fulfillment center? Even if these may seem out of reach, each of these are possible via a virtual field trip. A virtual field trip (VFT) can be a great way to provide unique, one-of-a-kind experiences that will captivate students and provide meaningful, standards-aligned learning activities. VFT Defined So, what is a virtual field trip (VFT)? Han (2021) describes it as a computer simulation of an actual field trip. VFTs involve using a computer or digital device to explore locations, events, or real-life situations represented by images, videos, and audio. Some involve augmented or virtual reality, while others utilize synchronous meetings with experts (Duong, Telemeco, Dean, & Hansen. 2022). VFTs can be a live virtual tour with a guide or a video recording of a past event. Some VFTs were in place before the COVID pandemic; however, many were developed during the pandemic as a temporary measure to engage students. Many VFTs are continuing to reach a larger audience and fulfill their organization's mission of increasing awareness and educating the public (Han, 2021). Why VFT 63 There are many reasons why a virtual field trip makes sense. Sometimes taking students on an actual field trip is not feasible because of logistical barriers (Krawkowka, 2012). The travel, expenses, and complexities can prevent teachers from the adventure they want their students to have. VFTs tend to be more cost effective - especially when they are free (Blachowicz & Obrochta, 2011; Duskin; 2021; Lukes, 2014), they tend to be more accessible because physical boundaries and obstacles are not present, and there are fewer safety concerns (Han, 2021; Krawkowka, 2012). Benefits There are benefits VFTs afford students beyond overcoming boundaries and obstacles. VFTs are shown to increase students’ exposure to new perspectives (Duskin, 2021; Hampshire, 2021; Ross, 2021); are more accessible for rural students (Duskin, 2021); and can increase students’ learning outcomes (Galas & Ketelhut, 2006; Merchant et al., 2014). Learning during a VFT can be embedded in project-based and/or problem-based learning experiences (Krawkowka, 2012). Imagine students presented with a real-world problem that requires them to consult a scientist in the field, one they can ask questions virtually. Imagine students then creating innovative solutions to the real-world problem and presenting that to an audience that is either meeting in person or virtually. With the use of VFTs, cross-curricular connections can be made while aligning with academic standards, boosting content knowledge, sparking curiosity and interest in new things and places, connecting curriculum to real-world experiences, and improving vocabulary acquisition (Lester, 2012). Keep in Mind When planning a virtual field trip, there are a few things to keep in mind. It is important to engage students’ senses (hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling) to enhance the experience (Blachowicz & Obrochta, 2011). Don’t forget to identify curricular goals and connections to the standards (Blachowicz & Obrochta, 2011; Lester, 2012). Be sure to investigate resources/websites to meet the goals and standards and that will ignite student engagement and curiosity (Lester, 2012). Plan the progression to ensure enough time, space, and interest. Be sure that the curricular goals can be accomplished (Lester, 2012; Hampshire, 2021). Don’t forget to debrief the VFT and allow time for student reflection of the learning. Then determine the level of effectiveness of the experience and make notes of how to improve the experience for future VFTs (Lester, 2012). Even though the field trip is virtual, you can make it feel like going on a real field trip by doing a few simple things, like getting permission slips, requesting bagged lunches, going over expectations, and moving to different rooms to represent different locations (Lester, 2012) Many VFTs are free, and some come with a cost. Below is a table with hyperlinks to VFTs that have options like narrated videos; live, virtual guides; on-demand options, and self-guided virtual tours. Included in the table are descriptions of the offerings, the costs, and notes identifying resources, age ranges, and any requirements. 64 Table 1: List of virtual field trips with explanations for each Virtual Field Trip Link Type Costs Notes The Nature Conservancy Narrated videos Free Teacher guides are available with alignment to the Next Generation Science Standards. All age groups. National Park Service Live programs, webcams, virtual tours, narrated videos, photo gallery Free Multimedia options, activities for different age groups, teacher portal, games and challenges. All age groups. National Museum of Natural History Archived video webinars, Ask Science How, Scientist Spotlight, live online school webinars Free. Registration required for live online school programs. Teaching resources available for many programs, Do-it-Yourself exhibits (must apply for access), multiple languages available for many programs. All age groups Walking Mountain Science Center Videos, activities, crafts Teacher resources with lessons and videos. Early childhood - middle school Discovery Education Live and on- demand field trips Free Elementary - high school. Comes with companion guide, aligned to standards, and hands-on learning activities Center for interactive Learning and Collaboration Register for programs Free to fees - depending on program Programs for K-12. Disciplines such as music, world languages, science, social studies, the arts, and more. Aligned to standards. Free membership. Ellis Island Interactive Tour Self-paced tour with text, images, and video Free Explores Immigration through Ellis Island with an option to explore immigration from 1492 to current times Museum of the Revolutionary War Self-paced tour with text, images, and Free Classroom kit and resources for grades 2-8 65 video Google Maps Treks Content provided in text, images, video, and Google map images Free Many locations around the world to choose to explore. 360 Schools Images that can be viewed in VR or normally Free Thousands of panorama images to choose from. A couple of guided tours and how to create guided tours included. Airpano Video and images Free for some options 360 degree videos and images from around the world Virtual Field Trips On-demand videos and activities $6-10 for single video, $45/year for single class, $350/year schoolwide Videos, activities, quizzes and worksheets for K-9 social studies, geography, life sciences, and ancient civilization lessons. World Awareness Children’s Museum Virtual and interactive led by museum educator Free For preschool - 6th grade. Activity to complete during or after the event. Aligned NYS Next Generation Learning Standards. 60 minutes long for up to 30 students. San Diego Zoo live cams Watch and Learn Video San Diego Zoo Arts and Crafts Activities Live cams and recorded videos. Activities Free Watch various animals live in the zoo setting or recorded videos of animal interactions. Free activities associated with zoo animals. Oregon Zoo Narrated videos Free Lesson linked to English language arts, physical education and science. The Louvre Self-guided virtual tour Free Access to several Petite Galleries. Louvre Kids Animated stories Free Short video stories about different art pieces Google Arts & Images & text Free Options include artists, mediums, 66 Culture and 360 narrated videos art movements, historic events, historical figures, etc. Amazon Fulfillment Scheduled virtual tour Free Behind the scenes one hour tour using live streaming, videos, 360 degree footage and real-time Q&A. Registration required Amazon Future Engineer Tour Scheduled virtual tour Free Registration required. Downloadable teacher toolkit provided. Aligned to CSTA K-12 computer science standards These are but a few of the many virtual field trips to choose from to help enhance instruction and meet curricular needs. Virtual field trips are a great way to let students experience new and exciting places, people, and animals. While it takes work on the front end to design a virtual field trip that aligns to standards, sparks curiosity and wonder, and has front-loading and debriefing activities, it can be well worth the effort! 67 References Blachowicz, C. L. Z., Obrochta, C. (2011) Vocabulary visits: Virtual field trips for content vocabulary development. The Reading Teacher, 59(3), 262-268. https://doi.org/10.1598/RT.59.3.6 Duong, T., M. Telemeco, C. Dean, and A. Hansen. 2022. Piloting virtual field trips during a pandemic: Developing curriculum, lessons learned, and recommendations. Connected Science Learning 4 (2). https://www.nsta.org/connected-science-learning/connected- science-learning-march-april-2022/piloting-virtual-field-trips Duskin, H. (2021, August 18). Why teachers want virtual field trips to stay. American Alliance of Museums. Alliance blog. Retrieved from https://www.aam-us.org/2021/08/18/why- teachers-want-virtual-field-trips-to-stay/ Galas, C., Ketelhut, D. (2006). River City, the MUVE. Learning and Leading with Technology, Learning and Leading with Technology, 33, 7, Pp. 31-32 Hampshire, K. (2021, April 22). Virtual field trips for kids: World wide wonders. US News & World Report. Retrieved from https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/articles/virtual- field-trips-for-kids-worldwide-wonders Han, I. (2021). Immersive virtual field trips and elementary students’ perceptions. British Journal of Educational Technology, 52(1), 179-195. Krawkowka, A. (2012). Field trips as valuable learning experiences in geography courses. Journal of Geography, 111, 236-244. Lester, L. (2012). Putting rural readers on the map: Strategies for rural literacy. The Reading Teacher, 65(6), 407-415. Lukes, L. (2014). A new take on the field trip. Science Teacher, 81(1), 24-29. Merchant, Z., Goetz, E. T., Cifuentes, L., Keeney-Kennicutt, W., & Davis, T. J. (2014). Effectiveness of virtual reality-based instruction on students' learning outcomes in K-12 and higher education: A meta-analysis. Computers & Education, 70, 29–40. Ross, T. (2021). Virtual field trips: Benefits and resources for schools. EBSCOpost. Retrieved from https://www.ebsco.com/blogs/ebscopost/virtual-field-trips-benefits-and-resources- schools