Abstract:
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
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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.
