From Micro to Macro Challenges: Advancing Geological Field Mapping Skills through VR Immersion and Scale.

This paper iterates on prior work to design immersive learning environments (ILEs) that support 3D-thinking skills in the field of geoscience. We present a prototype of a Virtual Reality (VR) module aimed to introduce undergraduate geoscience students to geological structures (folds) from micro to macro scales. Five students took part in the VR experience and five students did not. A subsequent case study of these students (N=10) took place on a field mapping trip to Mount Isa, Queensland over 11 days. In field interviews, students reported a positive experience of the VR module and perceived learning transfer to their real world tasks. Field observations, by contrast, indicated that this learning transfer required instructor guidance during the trip. We determine that learning transfer could be improved in future iterations of the module designs with repetition and more guidance within VR. We provide insights into the challenges students faced and our understanding of how immersive educational technologies could address them.