How Academics and the Public Experienced Immersive Virtual Reality for Geo-Education

Immersive virtual reality can potentially open up interesting geological sites to students, academics and others who may not have had the opportunity to visit such sites previously. We study how users perceive the usefulness of an immersive virtual reality approach applied to Earth Sciences teaching...

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Main Authors: Fabio L. Bonali, Elena Russo, Fabio Vitello, Varvara Antoniou, Fabio Marchese, Luca Fallati, Valentina Bracchi, Noemi Corti, Alessandra Savini, Malcolm Whitworth, Kyriaki Drymoni, Federico Pasquaré Mariotto, Paraskevi Nomikou, Eva Sciacca, Sofia Bressan, Susanna Falsaperla, Danilo Reitano, Benjamin van Wyk de Vries, Mel Krokos, Giuliana Panieri, Mathew Alexander Stiller-Reeve, Giuseppe Vizzari, Ugo Becciani, Alessandro Tibaldi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-12-01
Series:Geosciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/12/1/9
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author Fabio L. Bonali
Elena Russo
Fabio Vitello
Varvara Antoniou
Fabio Marchese
Luca Fallati
Valentina Bracchi
Noemi Corti
Alessandra Savini
Malcolm Whitworth
Kyriaki Drymoni
Federico Pasquaré Mariotto
Paraskevi Nomikou
Eva Sciacca
Sofia Bressan
Susanna Falsaperla
Danilo Reitano
Benjamin van Wyk de Vries
Mel Krokos
Giuliana Panieri
Mathew Alexander Stiller-Reeve
Giuseppe Vizzari
Ugo Becciani
Alessandro Tibaldi
author_facet Fabio L. Bonali
Elena Russo
Fabio Vitello
Varvara Antoniou
Fabio Marchese
Luca Fallati
Valentina Bracchi
Noemi Corti
Alessandra Savini
Malcolm Whitworth
Kyriaki Drymoni
Federico Pasquaré Mariotto
Paraskevi Nomikou
Eva Sciacca
Sofia Bressan
Susanna Falsaperla
Danilo Reitano
Benjamin van Wyk de Vries
Mel Krokos
Giuliana Panieri
Mathew Alexander Stiller-Reeve
Giuseppe Vizzari
Ugo Becciani
Alessandro Tibaldi
author_sort Fabio L. Bonali
collection DOAJ
description Immersive virtual reality can potentially open up interesting geological sites to students, academics and others who may not have had the opportunity to visit such sites previously. We study how users perceive the usefulness of an immersive virtual reality approach applied to Earth Sciences teaching and communication. During nine immersive virtual reality-based events held in 2018 and 2019 in various locations (Vienna in Austria, Milan and Catania in Italy, Santorini in Greece), a large number of visitors had the opportunity to navigate, in immersive mode, across geological landscapes reconstructed by cutting-edge, unmanned aerial system-based photogrammetry techniques. The reconstructed virtual geological environments are specifically chosen virtual geosites, from Santorini (Greece), the North Volcanic Zone (Iceland), and Mt. Etna (Italy). Following the user experiences, we collected 459 questionnaires, with a large spread in participant age and cultural background. We find that the majority of respondents would be willing to repeat the immersive virtual reality experience, and importantly, most of the students and Earth Science academics who took part in the navigation confirmed the usefulness of this approach for geo-education purposes.
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spelling doaj.art-409096e6e6c24b09b0fd302d4e16ad0d2023-11-23T13:53:29ZengMDPI AGGeosciences2076-32632021-12-01121910.3390/geosciences12010009How Academics and the Public Experienced Immersive Virtual Reality for Geo-EducationFabio L. Bonali0Elena Russo1Fabio Vitello2Varvara Antoniou3Fabio Marchese4Luca Fallati5Valentina Bracchi6Noemi Corti7Alessandra Savini8Malcolm Whitworth9Kyriaki Drymoni10Federico Pasquaré Mariotto11Paraskevi Nomikou12Eva Sciacca13Sofia Bressan14Susanna Falsaperla15Danilo Reitano16Benjamin van Wyk de Vries17Mel Krokos18Giuliana Panieri19Mathew Alexander Stiller-Reeve20Giuseppe Vizzari21Ugo Becciani22Alessandro Tibaldi23Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1-4, 20126 Milan, ItalyDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1-4, 20126 Milan, ItalyINAF-Istituto di Radioastronomia, via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1-4, 20126 Milan, ItalyDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1-4, 20126 Milan, ItalyDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1-4, 20126 Milan, ItalyDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1-4, 20126 Milan, ItalyDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1-4, 20126 Milan, ItalySchool of the Environment, Geography and Geosciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PL01 3QL, UKDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1-4, 20126 Milan, ItalyDepartment of Human and Innovation Sciences, Insubria University, Via S. Abbondio 12, 22100 Como, ItalyDepartment of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, GreeceINAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania, Via Santa Sofia 78, 95123 Catania, ItalyDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1-4, 20126 Milan, ItalyIstituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia-Osservatorio Etneo, Piazza Roma 2, 95125 Catania, ItalyIstituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia-Osservatorio Etneo, Piazza Roma 2, 95125 Catania, ItalyLaboratoire Magmas et Volcans, Observatoire du Physique du Globed e Clermont, IRD, UMR6524-CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63170 Aubiere, FranceSchool of Creative Technologies, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DJ, UKCAGE, Center for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate, The Arctic University of Norway, 9019 Tromso, NorwayKonsulent Stiller-Reeve, 5281 Valestrandsfossen, NorwayDepartment of Informatics, Systems and Communication, University of Milan Bicocca, Viale Sarca 336/14, 20126 Milan, ItalyINAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania, Via Santa Sofia 78, 95123 Catania, ItalyDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1-4, 20126 Milan, ItalyImmersive virtual reality can potentially open up interesting geological sites to students, academics and others who may not have had the opportunity to visit such sites previously. We study how users perceive the usefulness of an immersive virtual reality approach applied to Earth Sciences teaching and communication. During nine immersive virtual reality-based events held in 2018 and 2019 in various locations (Vienna in Austria, Milan and Catania in Italy, Santorini in Greece), a large number of visitors had the opportunity to navigate, in immersive mode, across geological landscapes reconstructed by cutting-edge, unmanned aerial system-based photogrammetry techniques. The reconstructed virtual geological environments are specifically chosen virtual geosites, from Santorini (Greece), the North Volcanic Zone (Iceland), and Mt. Etna (Italy). Following the user experiences, we collected 459 questionnaires, with a large spread in participant age and cultural background. We find that the majority of respondents would be willing to repeat the immersive virtual reality experience, and importantly, most of the students and Earth Science academics who took part in the navigation confirmed the usefulness of this approach for geo-education purposes.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/12/1/9immersive virtual realitygeologyphotogrammetryeducationIcelandSantorini
spellingShingle Fabio L. Bonali
Elena Russo
Fabio Vitello
Varvara Antoniou
Fabio Marchese
Luca Fallati
Valentina Bracchi
Noemi Corti
Alessandra Savini
Malcolm Whitworth
Kyriaki Drymoni
Federico Pasquaré Mariotto
Paraskevi Nomikou
Eva Sciacca
Sofia Bressan
Susanna Falsaperla
Danilo Reitano
Benjamin van Wyk de Vries
Mel Krokos
Giuliana Panieri
Mathew Alexander Stiller-Reeve
Giuseppe Vizzari
Ugo Becciani
Alessandro Tibaldi
How Academics and the Public Experienced Immersive Virtual Reality for Geo-Education
Geosciences
immersive virtual reality
geology
photogrammetry
education
Iceland
Santorini
title How Academics and the Public Experienced Immersive Virtual Reality for Geo-Education
title_full How Academics and the Public Experienced Immersive Virtual Reality for Geo-Education
title_fullStr How Academics and the Public Experienced Immersive Virtual Reality for Geo-Education
title_full_unstemmed How Academics and the Public Experienced Immersive Virtual Reality for Geo-Education
title_short How Academics and the Public Experienced Immersive Virtual Reality for Geo-Education
title_sort how academics and the public experienced immersive virtual reality for geo education
topic immersive virtual reality
geology
photogrammetry
education
Iceland
Santorini
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/12/1/9
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