FrameVR Virtual Field Trip User Guide
Pedagogical Strategies
The FrameVR VFT project utilizes various skills that students are exposed to during instruction throughout the curricular scope of the British Columbia Curriculum, particularly the designated Core Competencies. Additionally, the project will aim to situate practice within the constructivist and experiential schools of thought. Finally, the project intends to recreate the lasting, experiential learning opportunity of a traditional, location-based field trip through the usage of interactive technology to explore a variety of digital artifacts.
The FrameVR VFT project utilizes various skills that students are exposed to during instruction throughout the curricular scope of the British Columbia Curriculum, particularly the designated Core Competencies. Additionally, the project will aim to situate practice within the constructivist and experiential schools of thought. Finally, the project intends to recreate the lasting, experiential learning opportunity of a traditional, location-based field trip through the usage of interactive technology to explore a variety of digital artifacts.
Figure 3. Government of British Columbia, (2021). Core Competencies. [Screenshot]. Retrieved from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/competencies
Figure 4. Government of Alberta, (2004).
Focus on Inquiry. Retrieved from http://bmslibrarycommons.weebly.com/inquiry-based-learning.html
Meaningful, Inquiry-Driven Learning
Unit and lesson plans will be structured using the Focus on Inquiry model. It is the inquiry model referenced by the International Association of School Libraries (IASL) as the Canadian standard. An inquiry model scaffolds both the learning for students and the instruction for educators. It provides a common language for students, acts as a guide for monitoring progress, and gauges feelings as students go through the learning process.
The strategy of our FrameVR VFT project is not to deliver students facts that must be simply memorized. Instead, the project seeks to allow students to interpret various digital artifacts related to sustainability/environmental learning, synthesize information and evidence, then draw personal conclusions about the selected topics supported by reasoning. Students will then be encouraged to collaborate with their peers in a virtual space and articulate their personal learning utilizing a variety of digital tools to help grow their understanding. Finally, we hope to have students develop further questions about the environment, seek additional answers within the FrameVR VFT or outside sources, and share that information with their learning community.
Unit and lesson plans will be structured using the Focus on Inquiry model. It is the inquiry model referenced by the International Association of School Libraries (IASL) as the Canadian standard. An inquiry model scaffolds both the learning for students and the instruction for educators. It provides a common language for students, acts as a guide for monitoring progress, and gauges feelings as students go through the learning process.
The strategy of our FrameVR VFT project is not to deliver students facts that must be simply memorized. Instead, the project seeks to allow students to interpret various digital artifacts related to sustainability/environmental learning, synthesize information and evidence, then draw personal conclusions about the selected topics supported by reasoning. Students will then be encouraged to collaborate with their peers in a virtual space and articulate their personal learning utilizing a variety of digital tools to help grow their understanding. Finally, we hope to have students develop further questions about the environment, seek additional answers within the FrameVR VFT or outside sources, and share that information with their learning community.
Construction of Knowledge and Personal Understanding
The FrameVR VFT project will utilize a constructivist view that suggests students learn best by being actively engaged in the learning process, building on what they already know and interacting with others and a variety of digital artifacts. A constructivist learning environment is defined by Wilson (1996) as “a place where learners may work together and support each other as they use a variety of tools and information resources in their guided pursuit of learning goals and problem-solving activities” (p. 5). Our FrameVR VFT will allow students to openly explore a museum-like virtual environment with their peers, in avatar form, to interact with digital artifacts to create their own understanding of sustainability/environmental learning topics.
Reflective Practice
The FrameVR VFT project recognizes that students will interact with information and content in unique ways, contributing to their personal understanding of the sustainability/environmental learning subjects. Students will be challenged to apply critical, metacognitive and reflective thinking about their learning and how their personal experiences shape their understanding. Students will be asked to share their individual and collaborative learning and progress through a variety of embedded checkpoints, as well as collaborative conversations. Finally, students will be challenged to connect what they have learned to actions they can take in their community regarding their personal, familial and school impacts on the environment.
Accessible Authentic Experience Without Physical Necessity
The FrameVR VFT project is informed by the concepts present in experiential learning. According to Dewey (2004), in order to understand the world, learners need to interact directly with it, and Kolb (1984) suggests that this experience could be simulated and developed, especially for a learning situation. To address the issues of access and equity for students, the FrameVR VFT project seeks to provide an alternative solution for students who cannot participate in traditional field trips due to financial reasons, disabilities, or geographic remoteness. Frame VR can also be used with a speech-to-text feature to assist students that have difficulty with written output. Additionally, videos with sign language could be embedded into the program for students with hearing impairments.
Our immersive VFT project is free to use at any time, from anywhere, and it should foster collaborations just like traditional field trips. The created Frame VR is accessible from a browser on any smart device, such as desktop, mobile, and VR. Expensive headsets or installed plugin programs are not required; even a publicly shared library computer or school computer can be used to access the VFT. In addition, the “travelling time” of going on the VFT is minimal, and the always-on characteristic of web services allows International students to select visit time based on their time zones.
The FrameVR VFT project will utilize a constructivist view that suggests students learn best by being actively engaged in the learning process, building on what they already know and interacting with others and a variety of digital artifacts. A constructivist learning environment is defined by Wilson (1996) as “a place where learners may work together and support each other as they use a variety of tools and information resources in their guided pursuit of learning goals and problem-solving activities” (p. 5). Our FrameVR VFT will allow students to openly explore a museum-like virtual environment with their peers, in avatar form, to interact with digital artifacts to create their own understanding of sustainability/environmental learning topics.
Reflective Practice
The FrameVR VFT project recognizes that students will interact with information and content in unique ways, contributing to their personal understanding of the sustainability/environmental learning subjects. Students will be challenged to apply critical, metacognitive and reflective thinking about their learning and how their personal experiences shape their understanding. Students will be asked to share their individual and collaborative learning and progress through a variety of embedded checkpoints, as well as collaborative conversations. Finally, students will be challenged to connect what they have learned to actions they can take in their community regarding their personal, familial and school impacts on the environment.
Accessible Authentic Experience Without Physical Necessity
The FrameVR VFT project is informed by the concepts present in experiential learning. According to Dewey (2004), in order to understand the world, learners need to interact directly with it, and Kolb (1984) suggests that this experience could be simulated and developed, especially for a learning situation. To address the issues of access and equity for students, the FrameVR VFT project seeks to provide an alternative solution for students who cannot participate in traditional field trips due to financial reasons, disabilities, or geographic remoteness. Frame VR can also be used with a speech-to-text feature to assist students that have difficulty with written output. Additionally, videos with sign language could be embedded into the program for students with hearing impairments.
Our immersive VFT project is free to use at any time, from anywhere, and it should foster collaborations just like traditional field trips. The created Frame VR is accessible from a browser on any smart device, such as desktop, mobile, and VR. Expensive headsets or installed plugin programs are not required; even a publicly shared library computer or school computer can be used to access the VFT. In addition, the “travelling time” of going on the VFT is minimal, and the always-on characteristic of web services allows International students to select visit time based on their time zones.
Curriculum Content:
The FrameVR VFT project will approach environmental science through a virtual field trip that allows students to explore various digital artifacts that present a real-world context for the presented information. The VFT is intended to be a complementary experience for other instructional methods and to inspire students to engage in the inquiry process (see Figure 4). The project utilizes curricular standards from the British Columbia Environmental Science 11 and Applied Design, Skills and Technology (ADST) 11 curriculums. See Figure 5 for an illustration of the flow of curricular standards.
The FrameVR VFT project will approach environmental science through a virtual field trip that allows students to explore various digital artifacts that present a real-world context for the presented information. The VFT is intended to be a complementary experience for other instructional methods and to inspire students to engage in the inquiry process (see Figure 4). The project utilizes curricular standards from the British Columbia Environmental Science 11 and Applied Design, Skills and Technology (ADST) 11 curriculums. See Figure 5 for an illustration of the flow of curricular standards.
Figure 5. Litt, B. (2021). Mind Map of Curricular Concepts. [Screenshot].
The FrameVR VFT project will seek to raise awareness around the effects that human beings are having on the environment and biodiversity of the natural world. Students will explore digital artifacts related to the Environmental Science 11 curriculum to become more sustainable in relation to their environmental impact. The project will seek to incorporate First Peoples knowledge, perspectives, and the Principles of Learning throughout the shared content.
Figure 6. Litt, B. (2021). BC Curriculum Environmental Science 11 Big Ideas. [Screenshot].
Students will develop skills and competencies in Information and Communication Technology, which is part of the Applied Design, Skills and Technology 11 curriculum through their usage and exploration of the FrameVR platform and interactions with various digital artifacts
Figure 7. Litt, B. (2021). BC Curriculum ADST 11 Big Ideas. [Screenshot].
Assessment Model
The assessment model of the FrameVR VFT project consists of two parts:
1. Participation in the VFT
Each section of the VFT contains a set of conceptual questions. These questions are open-ended and serve as the guide to prompt thinking. Students should answer at least one question from each section to demonstrate that they are actively engaged in the activity.
2. Reflection of learning after the VFT
After the VFT, the students should write a short reflection about what they have learned. The reflection paper is assessed based on the quality of writing, integration of critical ideas, contextualization, and depths of thinking. The teachers can adjust the criteria and rubric of the reflection component according to their needs.
The assessment model of the FrameVR VFT project consists of two parts:
1. Participation in the VFT
Each section of the VFT contains a set of conceptual questions. These questions are open-ended and serve as the guide to prompt thinking. Students should answer at least one question from each section to demonstrate that they are actively engaged in the activity.
2. Reflection of learning after the VFT
After the VFT, the students should write a short reflection about what they have learned. The reflection paper is assessed based on the quality of writing, integration of critical ideas, contextualization, and depths of thinking. The teachers can adjust the criteria and rubric of the reflection component according to their needs.
Student Survey
Our FrameVR VFT was tested with 31 secondary school students.
Students also commented that they enjoyed their avatars, the structure of the VFT space, being able to interact with the space, being able to interact with other participants, photospheres and drawing on the virtual whiteboard.
- 83.9% of our student participants enjoyed the experience
- 42.9% of our student participants thought the FrameVR VFT was better than other virtual field trip experiences
- 45.2% of our student participants would recommend FrameVR to other teachers to use
Students also commented that they enjoyed their avatars, the structure of the VFT space, being able to interact with the space, being able to interact with other participants, photospheres and drawing on the virtual whiteboard.
Figure 8. McCallum, Neill. (2021). FrameVR VFT Student Survey. [Screenshot]. Retrieved from http://www.google.com