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Virtual field trips are not a new phenomenon, but they became popular just before COVID-19 for their ability to expose students to places and experiences they may not have access to due to funding barriers or geographic restrictions.
As COVID-19 mandated at-home and hybrid learning, many educators once again turned to virtual travel to keep students engaged in learning during pandemic-related educational challenges.
virtual field trip
Simply put, virtual field trips are digital experiences and explorations through places such as landmarks, museums, and even outer space. Using animations, images, videos, sound clips, and 3D technology, we provide students with real-world opportunities to explore pyramids, underwater ecosystems, the Grand Canyon, famous landmarks, and more. Some virtual tours for kids can be accessed with simple devices, while others use virtual reality headsets for a more immersive experience.
Virtual field trips and STEM learning
Hands-on STEM subjects are difficult to teach when students aren't always in the classroom, and student engagement will remain a challenge even after COVID. Virtual field trips solve both of these persistent obstacles. These trips help students see STEM right outside the classroom. Where can the engineering concepts learned in school take you as an adult? Is it possible to be creative in a STEM career? Here's how to enhance STEM learning with virtual field trips for your students.
Bringing real-world problems into the classroom through virtual tours
Climate change is becoming an increasingly important topic in school curricula. Today's students will almost certainly inherit a climate-affected world, and they will need to understand the mechanisms of global warming if they are to develop into climate-conscious, civic-minded members of society. However, many students give up studying environmental science because of boring textbooks and complicated diagrams. This is a serious problem because students will need an in-depth understanding of greenhouse gases and ecological damage in the future. Educators can use the latest virtual reality (VR) technology to engage students and spark interest in environmental science. This technology allows students to take free, interactive virtual field trips. This means students can virtually visit climate-affected regions from the safety and comfort of their classrooms. Makes real-world problems more relevant to students.
Virtual field trip through augmented reality
Augmented reality gives educators the opportunity to bring the world to life. But first we must look at the world. For example, educators can take a field trip to the center of the capital and have students draw landmarks, interview tourists, use the iPad voice recorder, make a movie using the iPad camera, edit in iMovie, and more to enhance students' learning. Landmark of life. Then, using an augmented reality app, educators can link the children's work to the video and embed it all into Google Maps. This means anyone can point their camera at a trigger image and learn more about the landmarks they visit that day, all through narration from students. Here's how to do it:
Why Virtual Field Trips Work
This upcoming generation of students has grown up with smart devices connected to the internet. Information comes to them instantly. Unfortunately, numerous apps continue to play against the attention economy and impact class focus and retention. Interactive virtual tours for elementary school students can really help increase engagement. Virtual field trips using technologies such as AR and VR provide new learning opportunities to keep students engaged and continue lessons.