Supporting Student Learning and Understanding of Geoscience Using Virtual Reality and Video Demonstrations

Abstract

We examined the impact of geoscience demonstration and virtual reality field trip videos on student assessment confidence, performance, and their overall attitudes towards learning geology using a mixed methods sequential explanatory design. Participants were 111 undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory geology course in one of four consecutive semester offerings. Repeated for 13 videos, students would watch a video of a demonstration or virtual field trip and answer select-response questions. Then during a later exam students answered questions specifically associated with the video content while also rating their answer confidence using a ten-point scale. Open-ended student comments were collected from a four-question survey at the end of each semester. Findings of student responses to four of the videos suggest that the use of the demonstration videos and virtual reality field trips had a positive impact on student learning of geological concepts. Qualitative findings affirmed the voice and personalization principles of the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning.