Virtual Field Trips

McDougall, Derek (2025) Virtual Field Trips. In: The Routledge Handbook of Field Research. Routledge, London, pp. 43-52. ISBN ISBN: 978-1-032-52018-6 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-032-52019-3 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-40490-3 (ebk)

Abstract

A valuable tool for supporting in-person fieldwork and on-campus learning
A virtual field trip is a digital resource that enables a user to visualise and explore a remote location using imagery and related materials. Virtual field trips can be used in multiple ways. They are at their best when used as a companion to in-person field experiences, providing all students and staff with opportunities for preparation and follow-up. In this regard, they contribute to making fieldwork more inclusive for students with disabilities, seen and unseen (as part of a broader strategy). Virtual field trips can also support on-campus learning, transporting students instantly to distant locations in time and space, allowing them to apply newly acquired knowledge and skills. If all else fails, virtual field trips can be used as an online substitute for the real thing. What they lack in their ability to replicate the full, in-person field experience, they make up for in terms of flexibility, accessibility, reliability (e.g. guaranteed good weather) and novelty (e.g. the ability to time travel).

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