Astrobiology-Related Virtual Field Trips in Higher Education Settings: A Six-Year Study

Astrobiology-related laptop-delivered 360-degree immersive Virtual Field Trips (VFTs) are increasingly used in higher education. However, the literature remains sparse on the experiences in approach to pedagogy and what works and what does not in attaining the intended outcomes. Part of the reason for that has been the limitation on the cost of making this educationally promising type of VFT in terms of time and money, but various initiatives are addressing these two limiting factors. Thus, the pedagogical aspects underpinning making this type of VFT remain largely unexplored. We experimented with the 360-degree VFTs for an astrobiological field site that attracts global researcher interest-the Pilbara Craton of Western Australia, where the world's best preserved and most convincing evidence of early life on Earth exists, from 3.48 billion years ago. Our challenge was to engage final-year undergraduate science students-with little to no geology background-with this field site without visiting it, because of the remote location, safety considerations, and cost. Another consideration was that the astrobiology course in which the VFT resides is fully online, so students not currently residing in Australia can enroll, adding to practical logistical problems for field work. We present our experiences over six years of data in which one pedagogical change stood out above all others-introducing a handwritten field notebook for a VFT-suggesting that it is a key pedagogical consideration for field-related VFTs.