Case 2: Using Virtual Field Trips to engage, enhance, and extend student learning.

1. Reference information (where you get it if it is a website; authors, article title, journal title, and date of publication if it is a journal article, report accordingly if it is other sources)

1. American University, Washington, DC. (2019, December). Virtual Reality in Education: Benefits, Tools, and Resources. Benefits of Virtual Reality in Education: Tools & Resources | American University. https://soeonline.american.edu/blog/benefits-of-virtual-reality-in-education.

2. Berer, S. (2016, January 9). The Benefits Of Learning Through Field Trips. TeachThought. https://www.teachthought.com/learning/the-benefits-of-learning-through-field-trips/.

3. Clothing, K.-12. (2020, July 21). Virtual Field Trips: How to Extend Your Kids' Learning Beyond the Virtual Classroom. K. https://www.k12clothing.com/post/virtual-field-trips-learning-beyond-the-virtual-classroom.

4. Edmentum. (2020, October 31). Marzano 13 Teaching Best Practices for Virtual, Blended, and Classroom Instruction . Edmentum Blog. https://blog.edmentum.com/marzano-13-teaching-best-practices-virtual-blended-and-classroom-instruction%C2%A0.

5. Explorer Classroom. National Geographic Society. (n.d.). https://www.nationalgeographic.org/tickets/explorer-classroom/.

6. KNILT. (2020, December). Unit 2: The Pros & Cons of Virtual Field Trips. KNILT. https://knilt.arcc.albany.edu/Unit_2:_The_Pros_%26_Cons_of_Virtual_Field_Trips.

7. Lawrence, C. (2017, September 26). Pros & Cons of Virtual Field Trips. Synonym. https://classroom.synonym.com/pros-cons-virtual-field-trips-27416.html.

8. Mead, S. (n.d.). How Field Trips Extend Learning for Kids Beyond The Walls of Elementary School Classrooms. Whitby School. https://www.whitbyschool.org/passionforlearning/how-field-trips-extend-learning-for-kids-beyond-the-walls-of-elementary-school-classrooms.

9. Meador, D. (2019, July). How Effective Instructional Strategies Can Boost Student Learning. ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/building-an-arsenal-of-effective-instructional-strategies-3194257.

10. Miller, M. (2021, June 8). 25 virtual field trips for your classroom. Ditch That Textbook. https://ditchthattextbook.com/20-virtual-field-trip-ideas-and-activities-for-your-classroom/.

11. Mori, M. J., L., D., P., S., Kryssie, P., L., M., K., Lisa, L., L., S., S., Suzanne, Mari, S., C., Y., J., Patti, & W., A. (2021, June 14). Let the marvels of the world captivate your students! Virtual Field Trips. https://virtualfieldtrips.org/.

12. Raines, D. (2012, January 25). Virtual Field Trips: An Online Learning Experience: Online Learning Consortium, Inc. Virtual Field Trips: An Online Learning Experience | Online Learning Consortium, Inc. https://secure.onlinelearningconsortium.org/effective_practices/virtual-field-trips-online-learning-experience.

13. Ross, T. (2021, January 28). Virtual Field Trips: Benefits and Resources for Schools: EBSCOpost. EBSCO Information Services, Inc. | www.ebsco.com. https://www.ebsco.com/blogs/ebscopost/virtual-field-trips-benefits-and-resources-schools.

14. Salman, J. (2021, June 16). A rigorous virtual field trip that's part of regular class. The Hechinger Report. https://hechingerreport.org/a-rigorous-virtual-field-trip-thats-part-of-regular-class/.

15. School field trips during the pandemic: What does that look like? https://www.ky3.com. (2020, August). https://www.ky3.com/2020/08/27/school-field-trips-during-the-pandemic-what-does-that-look-like/.

16. Stephen. (2020, February 19). The Reasons Why Educational Field Trips Are Important For Students. Educational School Trips. https://www.educationalschooltrip.com/reasons-why-educational-field-trips-important-for-students/.

17. Virtual Field Trips: Interactive Field Trips. Discovery Education. (2020, May 28). https://www.discoveryeducation.com/community/virtual-field-trips/.

2. A brief description of the case

Field trips have been a staple in the classroom for as long as one can remember. There is a tremendous amount of research that has been done on the benefits of school field trips. As an adult reflecting back on my school years, I can clearly remember any field trip we took. It was a window into the outside world that I would probably have never had the opportunity to experience in my everyday life.

"Virtual" field trips has not been a staple in schools and was not a very widely known version of the traditional field trip.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed that landscape for now and most likely, from now on.

During the pandemic, schools were strictly instructed not to take any physical field trips because the mandates of social-distancing, make-wearing, and the necessary cleaning was far too much for schools to risk to take students on a field trip.

Educators scrambled desperately to find ways to continue to enrich their curriculum with field trips without the physical action of taking a field trip. Hence the "Virtual" field trip seemed to, overnight, become the perfect solution to enrich curriculum during the pandemic.

This case looks at how using virtual field trips engages, enhances, and extends student learning.

3. The purpose of the innovation

The purpose of this innovation is to continue to give students the benefits of a physical field trip, in a virtual format. According to (Ross, 2021) "Jasmin Poor, virtual field trip coordinator at Roper Mountain Science Center in Greenville, South Carolina, recently described the value of virtual field trips to ISTE conference attendees. Virtual field trips are not limited by distance and are typically more cost-effective than traditional in-person field trips. They eliminate the need for transportation, decrease lost instruction time spent on travel, and involve fewer safety concerns (no permission slips required). In addition, virtual field trips create enriching, interactive experiences that cater to students of all learning styles and expose them to diverse perspectives."

Another way to look at this innovation can be explained by (Raines, 2012), "Virtual field trips allow learners to engage with and to learn about authentic artifacts and to explore places important to their discipline of study and consistent with their individual learning needs."

Finally, I feel this quote sums up precisely, the purpose of a virtual field trip. According to (Miller, 2021), "Virtual field trips allow us to take our students where the bus can’t. "

4. The technology and resources involved (e.g. facility, network, equipment, software, online program)

The technology and resources involved vary greatly.

A few things all virtual field trips have in common is the need for a schoolwide internet and the ability to view the field trip (whether it be one device everyone views or a single device for each student).

Also, all virtual field trips will need some type of software to access the field trip. Many, not all, virtual field trips that are live, need some type of video conferencing software. Some of the more well-known platforms are: TEAMS, ZOOM, Google Meet, Webex, etc.

If a virtual field trip is not live but recorded, such as Virtual Field Trips - Let the marvels of the world captivate your students! , you do not need a meeting platform BUT, you will need a subscription. This particular website has a year subscription for $45/year.

Yet another option is the Discovery Education platform that houses an exorbitant amount of virtual field trips that are linked to standards. Many districts have partnered with Discovery Education and educators in those districts have free access to whatever portion of the platform the district (or county) offers.

Another option is the Nat Geo Explorer Classroom. These virtual field trips are free but use a virtual meeting platform.

5. What prior skills and knowledge are required of students

Depending on what version of virtual field trip is chosen, will depend on the prior knowledge of students.

All virtual field trips, minus the field trips offered through Virtual Field Trips.Org, will need students to have some prior knowledge with meeting via a virtual collaboration platform.

This can take on many different "looks."

If the virtual field trip is live, but, the students do not have the ability to interact with the presenters, then students will need to have knowledge in how to view the experience through the chosen virtual platform and how to navigate the platform in case of visual difficulty, sound difficulty, etc.

If the virtual field trip is live, and, the students ARE able to interact with the presenters, then the students need to have knowledge of appropriate mute/unmute with their microphone as well as how to interact live via virtual collaboration feed. Students would also need to have knowledge of etiquette while meeting with presenters and may need "practice" with asking questions while live.

If the virtual field trip is NOT live, but rather recorded, such as with Virtual Field Trips.Org, then students will need knowledge in how to access the recordings according to the teacher design.

6. What are students asked to accomplish exactly (product or process)

This particular segment varies greatly depending on the teacher's vision for outcomes. The essential process is for students to experience the world (whether it be a place, a cultural experience, or any curriculum component that they would not otherwise experience in their everyday life.

Beyond that, educators may also include collaboration components, extension activities, a learning outcome project, or any type of post-field trip activity.

7. What are the procedures of the project (steps to teach the technology skills)

For the virtual field trips that use a virtual collaboration platform, will need students to be taught the skills of that particular platform.

For this example, I am going to use the TEAMS platform since that is the platform my district mandates.

In order for students to understand the skills needed, they would need to start with learning how to log into TEAMS. Once logged in, the students would need to learn the different components of TEAMS. Specifically, they would need to learn where the audio feature is located, the sound feature is located, and the different viewing options.

From here, students would need to learn "netiquette" for online conferencing. If using TEAMS, educators have the ability to "hard mute" students so that they do not unmute themselves and potentially say something inappropriate or allow the audience to hear anything inappropriate in the background.

Students should then be taught when it is appropriate to unmute to interact with the virtual field trip. There should also be strict rules set for students that unmute inappropriately. For example, if students unmute when it is not appropriate, then the educator "hard mutes" them for the remainder of the virtual field trip (or for a designated amount of time).

Students should also be taught about keeping their webcam on. There should also be discussion about students that are uncomfortable (or the educator is uncomfortable), with their background in their setting.

This is a great time to introduce virtual backgrounds so that students and educators do not have to worry about what might be seen on their virtual feed. Educators can send virtual backgrounds to students and show students how to apply them.

Again, rules should be set for students that do not follow this protocol. For example, a student that does not turn on their camera, unless there is a technical difficulty, would have a specific consequence.

8. What are the advantages of the project

There are so many advantages to the project that the number is immeasurable.

Some of the most crucial advantages are minimal cost compared to physical field trips (in a time when schools are so underfunded, this becomes one of the most compelling advantages).

According to (Kelly, 2019), virtual field trips benefit by offering different learning modalities. "Information is presented to students in a way that meets different learning modalities. Field trips provide students with the ability to learn by doing instead of just passively listening to the information being taught in class."

Another benefit is authentic learning. Authentic learning has become a crucial element in learning, especially during the pandemic when so many students were learning virtually.

According to (Raines, 2012), "Virtual field trips allow learners to engage with and to learn about authentic artifacts and to explore places important to their discipline of study and consistent with their individual learning needs."

One final crucial component is inspiring student creativity. This has become a focal point of learning during the pandemic. (American University Washington, DC, 2019), explains that "In addition to providing students with immersive learning experiences, other benefits of virtual reality in education include the ability to inspire students’ creativity and spark their imaginations. And this can motivate them to explore new academic interests."

9. What are the disadvantages of the project

In all honesty, trying to research the disadvantages of virtual field trips was quite a task. Many of the research was either not done or the articles were very outdated.

I found just two articles that were more recent that seemed to have a bit of relevance.

One disadvantage noted was that virtual field trips do not engage all the senses. According to (KNILT, 2020), "Virtual field trips can only engage students' senses of sight and hearing. Traditional field trips allow students to actively participate in their learning experience by providing opportunities for them to see, hear, smell, and sometimes touch or taste the things around them." Let it be noted that this was the only disadvantage listed in this article.

The only other somewhat recent article was from (Lawrence, 2017). The one disadvantage listed was around student engagement. "Virtual field trips can only engage students' senses of sight and hearing. Traditional field trips allow students to actively participate in their learning experience by providing opportunities for them to see, hear, smell, and sometimes touch or taste the things around them." Let it be noted that this quote is identical to the quote above. This shows that this is clearly the only disadvantage that can be found

10. What types of effective instructional strategies are included

When beginning to answer this question, a definition of "effective instructional strategies", a definition of what an "effective instructional strategy" is, is imperative.

While the internet is chock full of numerous definitions of what "effective instructional strategies are", (Meador, 2019), explains the definition in a precise manner; "Effective instructional strategies meet all learning styles and the developmental needs of all learners." Understanding this definition and taking into account that teachers should utilize a variety of strategies, one can see that the use of virtual field trips with regard to effective instructional strategies is numerous.

The focus of the most effective and well-known strategies is what will be the subject of this answer. (Edmentum, 2020), has some of the most up-to-date and relevant research on effective strategies in a virtual environment. Some of these strategies include routines, providing materials needed, presenting goals/objectives, encouragement and feedback, student ownership and progress tracking, accessibility, monitoring student work, student learning paths, providing understanding, allowing live question/answer sessions, equality, and providing external resources.

All of these strategies are embedded in virtual field trips depending on the extent of the lesson and the goals and outcomes outlined.

Essentially, virtual field trips can include some or all of these strategies depending on the depth of the lesson. The beauty of virtual field trips is they can be tailored to meet all individual needs.

11. What are the possibilities that the innovation can be transferred to other teachers, subject content and different school settings

The possibilities for virtual field trips to be transferred are endless. Virtual field trips are not bound to a school, a grade level, or a specific teacher.

Virtual field trips are just that, virtual. This means that no matter the environment if there is access to internet and video conferencing software (if the virtual field trip requires it), then students will be able to access the innovation.

I am including an example of a virtual field trip I took my students on. We met with National Geographic's Pristine Seas Dive Team.

You will notice @3:30, the presenter calls off "Cherokee Elementary" (the school I teach at) while naming off participants on the field trip. @43:30, you will hear the lead diver explain how he got into diving in the first place.