Virtual Field Trips: Taking and Making

What is Virtual Field Trips?

Field trips are an excellent way for students to engage with and learn about artifacts while exploring places that are connected to their discipline of study, bringing their coursework to life. While in-person field trips can be challenging to organize, can be expensive, and usually involve travel, online technology has removed some of these barriers to bring virtual experiences available to students. This course is recommended for all K-12 teachers seeking ways for their students to gain a deeper understanding of the curriculum in a virtual setting.

What will you learn in Virtual Field Trips?

This online professional development course will provide participants with a survey of what types of virtual field trips are possible. Educators will develop meaningful lessons centered around virtual field trips that meet subject matter standards and framework requirements, using computer and Internet technology. Finally, participants will create a simple virtual field trip of their own design. By the end of the course students will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of virtual reality experiences in education
• Identify the types of virtual field trips that are appropriate for educational purposes
• Create lesson plans focused on virtual field trips that meet specific subject matter standards
• Develop a virtual field trip and post it into the online classroom, Moodle

NOTE: Students are not required to purchase a textbook for this course. All course materials will be made available on the Internet free of charge.

Professional Development Certificate

This course is applicable towards the Online Teaching Certificate and Technology Skills for Educators Certificate.

This is an excellent course for teachers who wish to bring the world to their students. Professor Jacobsen provides excellent guidance throughout the course and responds to students quickly. I practiced making VFTs with numerous resources, and now I feel confident that I can use these tools for remote teaching during the upcoming school year.

-Teacher, Pennsylvania