Self-Contained Virtual Field Trips in Community Science Through Point-to-Point Videoconferencing

ABSTRACT SELF-CONTAINED VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS IN COMMUNITY SCIENCE THROUGH POINT-TO-POINT VIDEOCONFERENCING by Raymond Luis Barber Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies Science Teaching California State University, Chico Spring 2008 This project focused on the use of videoconferencing technology to connect students in the classroom to the relevant and applicable science in their own community. Small groups of students, equipped with computers and video cameras, traveled to local scientific facilities and conducted live and interactive virtual field trips for their classmates who viewed the videoconference from the classroom. The classroom students had the opportunity to interact with the field group, ask questions of the expert scientist/host, view equipment and processes, and assist in data and sample collections. The six different field trip sites incorporated content in areas such as astronomy, chemistry, stream dynamics and sound waves and recording, while relevant activities before and after each field ix trip served to reinforce the respective science content. This virtual field trip project, while incorporating various aspects of other similar programs, was unique with respect to two important factors. Field trips were: 1) located within the community relatively close to the school site, and 2) self-contained; that is, produced by students for their classmates. Results of the project indicated that: 1) videoconferencing technology is a viable means of remotely linking the classroom to the field; 2) there was a positive effect on students’ attitudes of and motivation in science; 3) students’ perceptions of their own learning increased.