Using virtual reality (VR) for teaching and learning in geography: fieldwork, analytical skills, and employability

Abstract

This article outlines how Virtual Reality (VR) technologies, software and content can be used as a resource for teaching and learning in Geography. Drawing on the authors' first-hand experiences of using VR for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, we explore firstly how VR can enhance the development of fieldwork observational techniques, knowledge and understanding of place, prior to entering the field. Secondly, we show how VR can be used to enable students to develop critical analytical skills in relation to emergent visual technologies and the wider implications VR has for the representation of people, places and landscapes. Finally, the article will attend to the ways VR and Augmented Reality (AR) -due to its growing industrial application -can offer important opportunities for the development of unique practical employability skills which can be applied to the geovisualization of data and environments enhancing graduate career prospects.

Biblical field study as experiential pedagogy: Jerusalem University College as a case study

“…AR and VR can be used to simulate interactive scenarios, reducing financial expenditure and increasing accessibility (Daniela and Aierken, 2020; Viveiros et al, 2021; Wagler and Hanus, 2018). Bos et al (2021) suggest VFTs can also be used to prepare students for the landscape they will be visiting, so that less introduction time is needed in the field. As technology and the quality of online pedagogy continues to improve, offering affordable access to the world of the Bible, Christian institutions can creatively adapt such education tools to teach students to “read the land,” whether online, in brick-and-mortar classrooms, or in the field.…”

Effect of virtual reality guidance system on the overhaul teaching

“…It simulates the disassembly and repair in a virtual environment [34,40]. The authors explore how VR can enhance the development of field observation technology, site awareness, and understanding before entering the field [1]. The authors study how the characteristics of the classroom environment affect the attention and response of students and teachers to disturbances from two aspects [13].…”

Solar Energy Harvesting to Improve Capabilities of Wearable Devices

“…These devices normally include one or more sensors, a power source, a processing unit and wireless communication modules. The most common applications of these smart devices are healthcare [ 1 ], activity tracking and sports [ 2 ], education [ 3 ], etc.…”