Virtual Fieldtrips 1
Virtual Fieldtrip
Lisa-Dai Keen Venker
ISTC 541
July 14, 2008
Virtual Fieldtrips 2
Virtual fieldtrips (VFT) are journeys and adventures taken by students without leaving their
school building. These trips are usually taken online through the World Wide Web. They are
taken as a part of the curriculum to enhance an objective or learning goal. “In reality, it is any
trip taken via an alternative means, and could include slides, a set of rocks appropriately placed
around the classroom, a stream table, a movie or video, a CD-ROM, or the use of the Internet
and Web Sites about a particular site.” (Woerner, 1999, p.5) These field trips are created in
order to enable students to extend their growth of knowledge as they explore new locations,
experts in the field, or other cultures.
A field trip via any means is meant to enrich the lives of the learner. VFT’s however, are limited
and do not provide the same experiences as a physical field trip (PFT) but it is a great
compromise. VFT’s allow students to become active members of their learning, and help teach
subjects students might not otherwise learn (Woerner, 1999, p.5) VFT’s are presented as an
inquiry-based learning. Benefits include greater flexibility, accommodation of any class size,
cost effectiveness, availability at any time, portability, and ease of updating. (Stainfield, Fisher,
Ford, & Solem, 2000)
VFT’s are chosen for a myriad of reasons, some of which are due to that fact that PFT’s are
sometimes logistical nightmares. These problems include instructional constraints, lack of
administrative support, large number of students, inclement weather, expense, liability, safety
issues, and not to mention the accountability movement which stresses performance on tests.
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(Klemm & Tuthill, 2003, pp. 177-186; Garner & Gallo, 2005, pp.14-17) Therefore, a VFT can
be an alternative when no PFT is possible.
When a VFT is initially set up it should create some connection to the “real world.” (Clark,
Hosticka, Schriver & Bedell, 2002, pp.6+). In some instances trips are created by an outside
entity, however, many teachers create their own. Through teacher created VFT’s individual
attention can focused on one’s own objectives, goals, and student’s need. Many VFT’s are
created in connection with a PFT’s and are completed either before or after the PFT. (Meridian,
1999, pp.) Teachers commented that self created VFT’s could be tailored to every age, ability
range, and content. (Steele-Carlin, 2006)
The types of VFT’s that I was hoping to research were ones that included internet-based tasks or
activities to locations that I would never be able to physically take my students. Internet used
VFT’s allow users to move through “…interactive experiences that can be designed and
controlled for maximizing learning.” Said Garner & Gallo (2005, pp. 14-17). Prior to this
research my concept of a VFT was limited to an interactive website to a particular location.
During my research I found this not to be true.
Literature suggests that VFT’s “…are not a replacement for traditional methods, but rather an
addition, one that can enrich an existing curriculum and even boost academic standing.”
(Charkes, 2007, p.14) A study by Garner and Gallo compared PFT’s to VFT’s. Ecology
students were taken on PFT to Indian River Lagoon where they took measurements of dissolved
oxygen and salinity, held prop roots of red mangroves, examined species of sea grass, and
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measured other environmental perimeters. The round trip took a total of three hours. A second
set of students completed a VFT. VFT students entered an air-conditioned, windowless
computer laboratory where they viewed a video and then were left to explore the Indian River
Lagoon VFT for two hours. The findings suggest that there was little difference in mean
achievement and attitude scores between students. Therefore, “…teachers could chose between
a physical or virtual filed trip and obtain similar achievement scores.” (Garner & Gallo, 2005,
pp.14-17)
A school district in rural northern California that used VFT’s to link authors-to-students and
students-to-students in other schools found positive behavior changes in the classroom.
Student’s behavior improved when they participated in one the many programs created through
the use of VFT’s. (Bennicoff-Nan & Schenck, 2006, pp.27-29) Other educators saw the value
of the World Wide Web offering a way for students to visit places they may never be able to
physically visit in their lifetime. (Steele-Carlin, 2006)
Advantages to VFT’s include repeated visitations and the ability to focus on one specific aspect
of the trip. Wider varieties of experiences are possible as well as the ability to view time
sensitive issues. Many geologically environmentally fragile locations may be visited. (Clark et
al, 2002) VFT’s also allow active learning to occur in a common learner-centered location.
Other merits include bridging formal and informal learning, and the ability to prepare students
for lifelong learning opportunities. “Having a variety of instructional strategies optimizes the
effectiveness of teaching and learning.” (Tuthill & Klemm, 2002, pp. 453-468) In addition, my
research found other advantages. These included use of multiple modes of learning, teaching
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flexibility and efficiency, temporal independence, ease of use, safety and practicality, control of
content, and reusability. (Tuthill & Klemm, 2002, pp. 453-468) Constructivist philosophy, like
Vygotsky, also support VFTs through the creation of learner-centered experiences and active
student learning. VFTs support this by allowing students to explore, observe, test ideas, and
collaborate with their peers. (Woerner, 1999, p. 6)
As with any field trip there are also limitiatons. Some of these include the time needed to create
the VFT, creator’s knowledge of the content, availablilty of technology, and teacher’s ability to
use technology. (Clark et al, 2002) VFT’s may also only appeal to the visual and auditory
learners of a classroom. Students who aren’t experienced with computers and software may also
be at a disadvantage when working through a trip. (Tuthill & Klemm, 2002, pp.453-468)
With an unlimited supply of websites and locations to access there are unlimited VFT’s to be
created. With so many limitations on teachers, students, and the time they have to actively learn
it is important for educators to make any effort in expanding their knowledge. The unlimited
access to locations allows students to explore areas of Earth that are not readily available to most
tourists. Some of these locations include the Mir space station or even remote locations on
Earth like the Panamanian rainforest. One program called Jason XV: Rainforests at the
Crossroads, offers students a virtual glimpse into this rarely visited region. A convergence of
networks allows students to interact with scientists studying how technology has impacted the
geography, hydrology, and biology of Panama. Voice, video, and data transmitted via satellite
links Jason XV with students world wide. (Denes, 2004, p. 9)
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The topics and content available are also unlimited. With teacher created and organization made
VFT’s the variety of uses continue to grow. The University of Texas has created VFT’s to many
remote locations throughout the United States. Another collection, from Leicester University in
the United Kingdom, offer trips to Europe, Asia, and links to virtual libraries, historical museums,
and environmental sites. (Stainfield et al, 2000, pp. 255-262) Many of these links include the
main subjects taught throughout the American school system: history, math, art, English,
literature, languages, and science.
The future of VFT’s is secure because the cost needed to create one is often extremely low. With
most school systems availability to computer programs, internet capabilities, and content
materials the only requirement is just teacher time for creation. With access to the World Wide
Web, finding a free VFT created by someone else is also available with little or no cost.
My original idea of a VFT was greatly changed during my research. I learned that nearly
everyday I take my students on a VFT. I use videos, in-class labs, and internet sites to expand
my students learning. As I reviewed articles, I was also given a long list of established World
Wide Web based VFT to use. I look forward to continuing to use VFTs in my class and take my
students where they may never get to in their lifetimes.
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References
Bennicoff-Nan, L., & Schenck, M. (2006). Broadening the Vision and Eliminating the Barriers.
CSLA Journal, 29(2), 27-29.
Charkes, J.S, (2007, March 25). Traveling the World, Without So Much as a Hall Pass. New
York Times (Late Edition (East Coast)), p. 14, WC.6.
Clark, K.F., Hosticka, A., Schriver, M., Bedell, J. (2002, June). Computer Based Virtual Filed
Trips. 14th ED-MEDIA 2002 World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia
& Telecommunications, Denver, Colorado, USA.
Denes, S. (2004) Virtual Field Trip. Rural Telecommunications, 23(2), 9.
Garner, L.C., & Gallo, M.A. (2005). Field Trips and their Effect on Student Achievement and
Attitudes: A comparison of Physical Versus Virtual Filed Trips to the Indian River
Lagoon. Journal of College Science Teaching, 34(5), 14-17.
Klemm, E.B, & Tuthill, G. (2003), Virtual field trips: Best practices. International Journal of
Instructional Media, 30(2), 177-186.
Stainfield, J., Fisher, P., Ford, B., & Solem, M. (2000). International virtual field trips: A new
direction?. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 24(2), 255-262.
Steele-Carin, S. (2006).Get Outta Class With Virtual Field Trips. Education World, Retrieved
June 26, 2008, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech071.shtml
Tuthill, G, & Klemm, E.B., (2002). Virtual field trips: Alternatives to actual field trips.
International Journal of Instructional Media, 29(4), 453-468.
Virtual Fieldtripping: Categories of Virtual Fieldtrips. (1999, January). Meridian: A Middle
School Computer Technologies Journal, 2(1),
Woerner, J.J. (1999)Virtual Field Trips in the Earth Science Classroom. Guides-Clasroom-
Teacher (052), Retrieved from June 26, 2008, from ERIC database.