Achieving Desired Student Outcomes in Virtual Field Experiences Through Attention to Design Considerations: A Delphi Study

Abstract

Undergraduate field courses are important learning experiences in many of the natural sciences, but they are not accessible to many students. Virtual field experiences (VFEs) have been evolving as a plausible alternative. A Delphi study, a method to seek systematic and iterative ideation from experts in a discipline, was conducted to synthesize best practices for achieving specific student outcomes through VFEs. Twenty-six participants with expertise in aspects of VFEs were included in the study and were asked about VFE design considerations and student learning outcomes. Panelists ranked five learning outcomes as most important: soft skills, affective outcomes, sense of being a scientist, interdisciplinarity, and problematization of issues addressed by science. The panel identified five design characteristics as most important for achieving those outcomes: alignment to learning goals, social interaction, attention to student contexts, authenticity, and pedagogical approach. Panelists acknowledged the difficulty of achieving some of these goals through VFEs but emphasized the importance of real-time social interaction with peers and outside experts. They encouraged an asset view of VFEs, highlighting the ability to include more diverse environments and people and to provide an experience catered to specific student needs and contexts.

Keywords:

• Virtual Field Experience (VFE)
• Immersive Learning Technology
• Undergraduate Field Experience (UFE)
• Contextualized Learning
• COVID-19

Acknowledgments

This project was made possible with support from the National Science Foundation (grant # 2031815). We sincerely thank the following expert panelists for their participation in the Delphi Study: Brook Aitken (cinematographer), Vipin Arora (Oregon State University), Jesse Barber (Boise State University), Josh Bernstein (videographer), Jennifer Brown (Into Nature Films), Scott Byrd (Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance), Bob Coulter (Litzsinger Road Ecology Center), Jonathan Davidson (University of Canterbury), Jacqueline Dohaney (Swineburne University), Drew Fulton (National Geographic), David Gagnon (University of Wisconsin), Brett Gilley (University of British Columbia), Gregory Goldsmith (Chapman University), Alison Jolley (University of Waikato), Amy Kamarainen (Harvard University), Ben Kennedy (University of Canterbury), Chris Mead (Arizona State University), Ryan Petterson (Stanford University), Jamie Pringle (Keele University), Steven Semken (Arizona State University), Alison Stokes (University of Plymouth), Martin Storksdieck (Oregon State University), and Marlene Villeneuve (University of Leoben). We are grateful to Jessica Sawyer, who improved the readability of the manuscript through her detailed cleaning up of the references.