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ABSTRACT
Field trips enhance learning, yet few secondary teachers include field trips in their curriculum because of numerous logistical problems. In this article, we examine several electronic alternatives to an actual field trip and focus on one particular way to bring local, real-world situations directly to the classroom: a virtual field trip (also known as electronic field trip). We examine the many different types of pre-made virtual field trips currently available on the Internet, discuss the advantages of teacher-made virtual field trips, and consider the advantages and disadvantages of actual field trips, professionally developed virtual field trips, and teacher-made virtual field trips.
Children look forward to the day when a school field trip is scheduled. Teachers who have experienced success in conducting effective field trips know well their value in enhancing the school curriculum. Thus, we begin by examining the research basis supporting the value of field trips in science instruction.
MERITS OF ACTUAL FIELD TRIPS
Field trips help bridge formal and informal learning, and prepare students for lifelong learning. Research has long demonstrated that using a variety of instructional strategies optimizes the effectiveness of teaching and learning. Field trips are one way of adding variety to instruction, thus optimizing teaching effectiveness while motivating student learning (Hofstein & Rosenfeld, 1996; Ignatiuk, 1978).
As education becomes more relevant and nearer to the inner perceptions of students, it will produce more meaningful learning, be more likely to change behavior, and improve the retention of students (Gillani, 2000). Actual field trips designed to connect classroom topics to real world contexts provide direct learning experiences, adding realism and relevancy to studies. In addition, informal learning environments, such as field trips to museums, zoos, or outdoor settings, appeal to various learning modes. They have a positive effect on student learning (Berliner & Pinero, 1985; Disinger, 1984; Krepel & DuVall, 1981) because they are able to provide concrete sensory input and help students derive meaning from information (Hofstein & Rosenfeld, 1996; Woerner, 1999).
PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH ACTUAL FIELD TRIPS
Despite research confirming enhanced learning, relatively few teachers take students on field trips. Krepel & DuVall (1981) reported that only 10 percent of the teachers surveyed conduct field trips in a given school year. Fisher (2001) reported the decline of...