Chapter 8: The Digital Globe

Virtual fieldtrips have become increasingly popular in educational environments in recent years for a number of reasons. Given declining funds, larger student numbers, and the rising costs of travel, virtual fieldtrips provide a ‘common-sense’ alternative that can offer students rich resources with which to explore a locality or places further afield. Such experiences reduce or eliminate the costs of traditional fieldtrips, problems of scheduling, weather, and transportation liabilities. Students can also work at their own pace, without the risk associated with being in the field, whilst also having access to and being able to share information. Even where access to the field is still possible, virtual fieldtrips can provide a valuable complementary online resource for a field study area, one which, with the aid of computer technology, offers a student the possibility to visualize and interact with a destination, either prior to or following a visit to the study area.