Designing Remote Field Experiences
This NSF-sponsored project (Award #2029920) is a collaborative effort of NAGT and the IAGD , and involves over 300 field camp directors, instructors, and resources developers around the world.
Jump to Teaching Resources | Learning Outcomes | Recorded Webinars | How to Get Involved | Who We Are
Teaching Resources
- Master spreadsheet of modules in development: the goal of this document is to help field directors/activity implementers to plan for what will be available and when. If you are a developer, please add your project where appropriate and feel free to add more rows if needed. These modules will eventually live on the SERC Teach the Earth site (below). The goal of this document is to help field directors plan for what will be available and when.
- New resource collection at Teach the Earth: a new digital clearinghouse for teaching modules and resources is in development at Teaching with Online Field Experiences. This collection also contains some virtual field trips
- Looking for space in an online camp: a list of 2020 online field camps with space available for displaced students: Summer 2020 virtual field camps.
- Share your online activity: if you have an online field activity to share, please contribute to the collection.
- How to contribute: watch a brief, ~5 minute overview of the Teaching with Online Field Experiences site and the contribution process:
Learning Outcomes
Ideally, virtual or remote field experiences could be designed to meet the same learning outcomes as in-person experiences. A subset of this group worked to develop a set of learning outcomes that were flexible enough to accommodate multiple delivery methods while still addressing the expectations of a capstone. These community-developed learning outcomes are listed below.
By the end of a capstone field experience, students should be able to:
- Design a field strategy to collect or select data in order to answer a geologic question.
- Collect accurate and sufficient data on field relationships and record these using disciplinary conventions (field notes, map symbols, etc.).
- Synthesize geologic data and integrate with core concepts and skills into a cohesive spatial and temporal scientific interpretation.
- Interpret earth systems and past/current/future processes using multiple lines of spatially distributed evidence.
- Develop an argument that is consistent with available evidence and uncertainty.
- Communicate clearly using written, verbal, and/or visual media (e.g., maps, cross-sections, reports) with discipline-specific terminology appropriate to your audience.
- Work effectively independently and collaboratively (e.g., commitment, reliability, leadership, open for advice, channels of communication, supportive, inclusive).
- Reflect on personal strengths and challenges (e.g. in study design, safety, time management, independent and collaborative work).
- Demonstrate behaviors expected of professional geoscientists (e.g., time management, work preparation, collegiality, health and safety, ethics).
Recorded Webinars
We have offered a set of informal webinars to facilitate sharing of existing resources and expertise. Note: We are in the process of adding captions to the videos - please stay tuned.
Creating 3D Hand samples (August 10, 2020)
Presenter: Sara Carena
Links to software discussed in the webinar:
Spreadsheet to share resources for teaching with virtual hand samples and to sign up to join relevant email lists
Saturday Webinar for Instructors of Online Camps (July 11, 2020)
Presenters:
- 12:00 - Kurt Burmeister & Chris Atchison – News & announcements
- 12:10 - Virginia Toy - One-day module on structural/tectonic analysis of outcrops in Eifel Slate Belt, Germany (tentative)
- 12:20 - Basil Tikoff - Sage Hen Flat project
- 12:30 - Discussion on challenges & best practices w/ online instruction
Links to resources discussed in webinar:
- Slides: Slides for the 7/11 Webinar (Acrobat (PDF) 3.5MB Jul15 20)
- Transcript: Transcript for the 7/11 Webinar (WebVTT 102kB Jul15 20)
- Link: Discord app for supporting student group work
Saturday Webinar for Instructors of Online Camps (June 27, 2020)
Presenters:
- 12:00 - Kurt Burmeister & Chris Atchison – News & announcements
- 12:10 - Alison Duval - Landslide mapping & analysis module
- 12:20 - Shannon Dulin - Combined stratigraphy/mapping exercise
- 12:30 - John Geissman - Geology of White Mesa area, Ojito Wilderness, San Ysidro, north-central NM; A splendid introductory field geology mapping exercise
- 12:40 - John Geissman & Bob Krantz - 20 min discussion on challenges & best practices w/ online instruction
Links to resources discussed in webinar:
- Slides: Slides for the 6/27 Webinar (Acrobat (PDF) 5.5MB Jun27 20)
- Transcript: Transcript for the 6/27 Webinar (WebVTT 110kB Jun27 20)
- Chat archive: Chat archive for the 6/27 Webinar (Text File 7kB Jun27 20)
- Link: Growing list of virtual field camp activities on Teach the Earth
Links to activities
- Activity: Alison Duval's Landslide Mapping and Analysis activity on Teach the Earth
- Resource: GETSI - Planning for Failure: Landslide Analysis for a Safer Society
- Activity: Shannon Dulin's Google TourBuilder of formations in Cañon City, CO, area
- Activity: Shannon Dulin's introductory GoogleEarth Web project for use with Grape Creek Exercises and pdf (requires Chrome browser)
- Activity: Shannon Dulin's GoogleEarth Web strat/mapping exercise (requires Chrome browser)
Links to related digital teaching tools
- Tool: Tour Builder - Put your story on the map!
- Tool: Slack - Communication tools for connecting remote teams no matter where you're working from
- Tool: Solocator - APP for iPhone & Android. GPS Camera takes photos with GPS coordinates, compass direction, altitude & timestamp overlay
- Tool: ThingLink - Seamlessly make your images, videos, and 360 content interactive with text, links, images, videos to create memorable experiences
- Tool: EazyZoom - Share huge gigapixel high resolution images
- Tool: Kuula - 360° virtual tours made easy. Create, edit, share
Links to related articles & "Job Talks" that Shannon Dulin uses to communicate career options to students in her online course offerings
- Blog: OU alumni grow to appreciate the values of an online camp
- Job Talk with Erin Wolfe - BS geology, MS academic advising and MBA director at OU Price College of Business
- Job Talk with Stacey Evans - MS geology and StateMap PI at the Oklahoma Geological Survey
- Job Talk with John Leeman - PhD geophysics and owner of Leeman Geophysical instrumentation company
Saturday Webinar for Instructors of Online Camps (June 13, 2020)
Presenters:
- 12:00 - Kurt Burmeister & Chris Atchison – News & announcements
- 12:10 - Charly Bank - SIGkit Toolbox
- 12:20 - Rachel Bosch - Karst Hydrogeology: a virtual field introduction using Google Earth & GIS
- 12:30 - Rachel Bosch - Karst Hydrogeology & Geomorphology: a virtual field experience using Google Earth, GIS, & TAK
- 12:40 - Sinan Akciz - Frying Pan Gulch module
- 12:50 - Sinan Akciz - Block Mountain module
Links to resources discussed in webinar:
- File: Slides for the 6/13 Webinar (PDF format) (Acrobat (PDF) 12.5MB Jun13 20)
- File: Chat log for the 6/13 Webinar (TXT file) (Text File 5kB Jun13 20)
- Link: Karst Hydrogeology: A virtual field introduction using Google Earth and GIS
- Link: Karst Hydrogeology and Geomorphology: A virtual field experience using Google Earth, GIS, and TAK
Saturday Webinar for Instructors of Online Camps (May 30, 2020)
Presenters:
- 12:00 - Kurt Burmeister & Basil Tikoff – News & announcements
- 12:10 - Robert Krantz - Reflections on delivery of virtual field camp module with Fort Lewis field camp
- 12:20 - Joe Meert - Mapping exercise at Ghost Ranch, NM, with GoogleEarth Pro
- 12:30 - Charly Bank - Magnetometry at Home
- 12:40 - Ben van der Pluijm - Google Earth Web-based Maryland Appalachians Geology field trip
- Discussion - initial reflections on online instruction
Links to resources discussed in webinar:
- File: Slides for the 5/30 Webinar (PDF format) (Acrobat (PDF) 2.3MB May30 20)
- File: Chat log for the 5/30 Webinar (TXT file) (Text File 1kB May30 20)
- Link: ACUE's toolkit for effective online instruction (contributed by Karen Gran)
- File: Joe Meert's Ghost Ranch Project Files (Zip Archive 249.4MB May27 20)
- Link: Magnetometer app used by Charly Bank
- Link: Ben van der Pluijm's blog post on how to build Enhanced GoogleEarthWeb virtual field trips (eGEW-GeoTrips) with image, video, hotlinks and voice
- Link: Ben van der Pluijm's example eGEWeb-GeoTrip to the MD Appalachians
Saturday Webinar for Instructors of Online Camps (May 16, 2020)
Presenters:
- 12:00 - Kurt Burmeister & Chris Atchison - Project overview, what's available, feedback channels
- 12:10 - Katherine Ryker & Laura Rademacher - Overview of assessment strategies
- 12:20 - Anne Egger - Overview of Teach the Earth website & submission process
- 12:30 - Steve Whitmeyer - Virtual Geology Mapping Exercise at Lough Fee
- 12:40 - Dave Anastasio - Plate game web GIS simulation
- 12:50 - Nic Barth - Virtual Yosemite
Links to resources discussed in webinar:
- Slides for the 5/16 Webinar (PDF format) (Acrobat (PDF) 44.7MB May17 20)
- Chat log for the 5/16 Webinar (TXT file) (Text File 5kB May17 20)
- Link: Public-Facing Page for Designing Remote Field Experiences Project
- Link: Master Spreadsheet of Modules Available
- Link: Activity uploading portal on SERC Teach the Earth website
- Link: Project Assessment Workspace
- Link: Field Skills & Attitudes Self-Assessment Form
- Link: List of online camps with space available for displaced students
- Link: Steve Whitmeyer's Lough Fee exercise
- Link: Dave Anastasio's Plate Game Web GIS Simulation Activity
- Link: Nic Barth's Geology of Yosemite Valley Activity
Tech Thursday Webinar - Virtual Field Trips (May 7, 2020)
Presenters: Steve Semken, Ariel Anbar, Ben van der Plujim, Avery Shinneman
Links to resources discussed in webinar:
- Virtual field trips from Arizona State University
- Slides from Steve and Ariel (Acrobat (PDF) PRIVATE FILE 32.1MB May7 20)
- Sian Proctor's Solar Energy VFT
- Ben van der Plujim's Google Earth Web virtual field trip
- Flyover Country
Tech Thursday Webinar - OpenTopography (April 30, 2020)
Presenters: Ramón Arrowsmith, Christopher Crosby, Chelsea Scott, Daniel Chupik
Links to resources discussed in webinar:
- OpenTopography website
- Topographic differencing: Earthquake along the Wasatch Fault activity
- Painted Canyon activity
- Introduction to SfM (Structure-from-Motion) from GETSI
- LIME software and https://v3geo.com/search 'Virtual outcrops'
- GETSI
- Slides from webinar
Tech Thursday Webinar - Google Earth Opportunities (April 23, 2020)
Presenters: John Bailey, Steve Whitmeyer, and Barb Tewksbury
Links to resources discussed in webinar:
- A Complete Guide to Using Google Earth in the Classroom on Teach the Earth
- GEODE (Google Earth for Onsite and Distance Learning); additional GEODE resources from Steve Whitmeyer
- Tom Blenkinsop's Excel macros to convert structural readings to .kml files and to display paleomagnetic data
- GETeach blog, Josh Williams' free site dedicated to help teachers educate and engage students using Google Geo Tools (not geoscience-specific)
- Barb Tewksbury's 2019 EGU poster Using Google Earth for More Effectively Teaching Undergraduate Structural Geology (Acrobat (PDF) 21.4MB Apr24 20) and the accompanying .kmz file (KMZ File 5MB Apr24 20)
Tech Thursday Webinar - Virtual Landscapes & Geologic Map Data Extractor (April 16, 2020)
Presenters: Jacqui Houghton and Rick Allmendinger
Links to resources discussed in webinar:
- Leeds Virtual Landscapes (more info)
- Use of Virtual Landscapes in an activity by Jacqui Houghton
- Use of Virtual Landscapes Three River Hills activity by Mark Helper
- Rick Allmendinger's Geologic Map Data Extractor
Digital Tools and Strategies Webinar (April 6, 2020)
Presenters: Doug Walker (StraboSpot), Callan Bentley (GigaPans, Google Earth), Paul Karabinos (SketchUp, Geologic Map Data Extractor)
Links to resources discussed in webinar:
- StraboSpot
- Callan Bentley's virtual field experiences with gigapans
- Virtual sample sets
- AGU's virtual Streetcar 2 Subduction
Get Involved
If you are interested in getting updates on the progress of this group or participating in a working group, please fill out this brief form.
Who We Are
This project is led by
- Chris Atchison, University of Cincinnati and Executive Director of the IAGD
- Kurt Burmeister, University of the Pacific and Executive Secretary of the USGS/NAGT Cooperative Field Training Program
- Anne Egger, Central Washington University and Executive Director of NAGT
- Katherine Ryker, University of South Carolina and Past-President, NAGT Geoscience Education Research Division
- Basil Tikoff, University of Wisconsin-Madison