Field trips are a key component of learning in STEM disciplines such as geoscience to develop skills, integrate knowledge, and prepare students for lifelong learning. Given the reported success of technology-based learning and the prevalence of new forms of technology, especially with immersive virtual reality (iVR) entering the mainstream, virtual field trips (VFTs) are increasingly being considered as an effective form of teaching to either supplement or replace actual field trips (AFTs). However, little research has investigated the implications of VFTs in place-based STEM education, and empirical evidence is still limited about differences between students’ learning experiences and outcomes in VFTs experienced on desktop displays and field trips experienced in iVR. We report on a study that divided an introductory geoscience laboratory course into three groups with the first two groups experiencing a VFT either on desktop (dVFT) or in iVR (iVFT), while the third group went on an AFT. We compared subjective experiences (assessed via questionnaires) and objective learning outcomes for these groups. Our results suggest that, although students reported higher motivation and being more present in the iVFT group, they did not learn more compared to those in the dVFT group; both VFT groups yielded higher scores for learning experience and perceived learning outcomes than the actual field site visit. These findings demonstrate positive learning effects of VFTs relative to AFTs and provide evidence that geology VFTs need not be limited to iVR setups, which lead to considerable equipment costs and increased implementation complexity. Discussing the results, we reflect on the implications of our findings and point out future research directions.

Learning in the Field: Comparison of Desktop, Immersive Virtual Reality, and Actual Field Trips for Place-Based STEM Education

At Kelvar 2019, we introduced a research framework for immersive virtual field trips (iVFTs) as a key element of immersive place-based learning. Organizing our research in this framework has been highly successful. We will be documenting outcomes of our research guided by this approach here, both as a conceptual extension of the original framework and through discussing three new studies that complement our existing empirical studies aimed at providing an evidence-based basis for assessing immersive learning. We believe in and strongly argue for the necessity of such a framework as we witness for the first time in the history of immersive technologies opportunities for comprehensive studies of immersive place-based learning, given the accessibility of the technology and the growing need for an evidence-based foundation. In detail, to assess the value of immersive experiences for learning, we argue for the necessity to compare them to traditional media such as desktop environments; correspondingly, we extended the framework to include non-sensing media. We conducted several new studies (both submitted and still unpublished work) that fill in gaps such as comparing desktop versus immersive VFTs, comparing Oculus GO versus Quest, and we describe our first experiences with moving immersive learning into the category of advanced iVFTs using both simulations and gamification as potential advantages of immersive technologies. We critically reflect on the results and lay out an agenda for future research on immersive place-based learning.

Immersive Place-based Learning – An Extended Research Framework

The paper details the design and evaluation of a joint, multi-user immersive virtual field trip (iVFT). The setting for our work centers on academic disciplines that value place-based education. The reported user study is embedded into a developing research framework on place-based learning and the role immersive experiences play as supplement, proxy, or through providing experiences physically not possible. The results of this study are both practical as well as theoretical, demonstrating the feasibility of using entry level immersive technologies in regular classroom settings and showing that even low-cost VR experiences strongly relying on \(360^{\circ }\) imagery add value to place-based education. With quantitative analysis, we also identify potentially critical aspects in how individual differences shape the adoption of this technology. Finally, we report insights gained through two qualitative analyses on how to improve the design of future iVFTs for educational purposes.

For the Many, Not the One: Designing Low-Cost Joint VR Experiences for Place-Based Learning

Head-mounted displays offering 6° of freedom have not been sufficiently researched in terms of their impact on users' learning and skills. The issue is multi-dimensional, heterogeneous, and complex. The paper presents a scoping review aiming to map and review the existing literature on the matter. The areas in which they have been mostly used, the benefits, and the negative effects they may have had, were examined. Eighty-seven articles were identified and analyzed. Out of them, only fourteen were considered as having adequate statistical power. Most had relatively small sample sizes and number of interventions, while university students were the most frequent target group. The review identified a total of twenty-seven distinct learning domains in which head-mounted displays offering six degrees of freedom were applied, with medical science being the most common one. The results in the reviewed papers (in terms of knowledge or skills) demonstrated that these devices outperform other tools. Moreover, they appear to have a positive effect on users' engagement, motivation to learn, immersion, and enjoyment.

A scoping review of the educational uses of 6DoF HMDs

Overly Honest Data Repository Development

INTRODUCTION Research data services have been adopted by many academic libraries. This study tracked the changes in research data management services and staffing among Association of American Universities (AAU) libraries over the past 5 years and compared them to the libraries’ goals for research data management (RDM) in their strategic plan. METHODS This quantitative study examined libraries at the 60 U.S. AAU institutions. In order to examine longitudinal changes, portions of Briney et.al. (2015a) were used as a basis for measuring data librarian staffing and services. These trends were compared to the contemporary strategic priorities of libraries interviewed by Meier (2016), as well as against strategic plans of 2014 and 2019 available online. RESULTS & DISCUSSION While there have been modest increases in libraries in the sample population offering data services, most of those gains have been among the libraries that did not consider RDM a priority in 2014. Interestingly, some of the libraries that mentioned RDM as a priority in 2014 have lost data librarian positions. Over half of the libraries in this study now provide or support a data repository. Many library strategic plans that mentioned RDM as an explicit goal 5 years ago now no longer mention it. CONCLUSION Data librarian positions, data services, and data repositories have now become common features of large research university libraries. However, research data services are no longer as prominent in many library strategic plans at institutions where such services are more established, and libraries instead seem to be moving on to the work of rethinking the nature of the services or expanding them. Data:  https://scholarsphere.psu.edu/concern/generic_works/t1g05ff42r

https://www.iastatedigitalpress.com/jlsc/article/12855/galley/12542/download/

Research Data Management Services and Strategic Planning in Libraries Today: A Longitudinal Study

Immersive technologies have entered the mainstream. To establish them firmly in educational curricula requires both practical and empirical assessments that ultimately lead to best practice and design recommendations. We report on a study that contributes to both. To enrich geoscience education, we developed an immersive virtual field trip (iVFT) that we evaluated in previous small-scale studies. In order to make it accessible to larger audiences we (a) developed a version of the iVFT for mobile devices (Oculus Go); and (b) used an evolving public VR infrastructure at The Pennsylvania State University. The results of an empirical evaluation are insightful in that they show that system characteristics are only partially predicting learning experiences and that required mainstream adoption, that is, making immersive experiences mandatory for all students in a class, still has its challenges. We discuss the results and future developments.

Immersive Learning in the Wild: A Progress Report

Science curricula in academic settings increasingly emphasize the importance of fostering students’ science communication skills through coursework and projects. One technique used to build students’ multimedia communication skills is digital storytelling. Digital storytelling allows students to tell a subjective story that engages audience’s interest and empathy using a mixture of visual and audio cues. In the process, students develop their own skills building an emotionally engaging narrative through the interaction of words and imagery, skills that are not usually exercised in a STEM curriculum. At some institutions, instructors of this technique have partnered with librarians, who can offer valuable assistance in the form of copyright support, resource guidance, and technical support. This paper will discuss how science librarians can provide support for digital storytelling in the curriculum.

/pdf/academic-librarians-supporting-digital-storytelling-in-the-2ziqjp58s9.pdf

Elise Gowen

Papers

Research Data Management Services and Strategic Planning in Libraries Today: A Longitudinal Study

Immersive Learning in the Wild: A Progress Report

Academic Librarians Supporting Digital Storytelling in the Sciences