Team name: University of Oxford
Team members: Iván Simon, Will McCreery, Josh Evans
Challenge: Solutions for a virtual geological exploration field trip or short internship
Challenge host: University of Miskolc, Miskolc, Hungary
Challenge theme: Emerging Technologies for Education

Solution description: 
Field trips are of great importance in geological education, however, numerous challenges can arise in their organisation. COVID-19 has made it impossible for field trips to take place; and even without the pandemic, time and financial constraints, and issues of geographical reach could present obstacles for organising field trips.

Our team from the University of Oxford proposes a 3-day field trip designed to be given online, or easily adapted to a classroom context, helping students gain a better understanding of the local geology. The course is designed with the next generation of geologists in mind, with a simple objective: to give students the fullest geological experience possible whilst elevating their understanding and appreciation of the importance of data in science. The modern day presents many opportunities for the improvement of geological field teaching through the application of digital solutions for visualising geological data in a more intuitive way.

The course is designed to last for 3 days, with each day consisting of 5-6 hours of work, covering the local lithologies, structure, and economic geology. To capitalise on the virtual nature of the course, we will be making use of existing software packages. Beyond increasing their geological knowledge, students will also get the chance to gain a deeper understanding of the inherently 3D nature of geology, have hands-on experience with manipulating data, and acquire insight into how to approach geology in a quantitative way.

The course includes independent assignments for students to complete, giving the field trip leaders a way to measure the effectiveness of the digital teaching and learning, and therefore also the success of the trip.

Read the full description of the solution here