Danielle Oprean
University of Missouri-Columbia, MO·Education Research
Field trips let students see real sites and learn by doing. They can strengthen spatial, verbal and math skills.
- Fields
Education Research
Engineering
- Topics
virtual field trips
iVisit
STEM education
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Dec 2028
What they work on
- Identify which features of web-based virtual field trips foster active spatial communication and group engagement among students, using thematic analysis of recorded instructor focus groups and design-based research in real courses.
- Determine how virtual field trips on the iVisit platform improve group spatial communication learning in Construction Management courses, through repeated cycles of design, implementation and analysis.
- Develop field trip content and problem-based learning student activities that embed multiple media representations of spatial data, guided by situated learning and computer-supported collaborative learning frameworks.
More about the research
But many schools cannot offer them because of cost, logistics and accessibility. This project asks whether web-based virtual field trips can deliver the same kind of situated, hands-on learning. It focuses on spatial communication, the ability to describe, interpret and share information about physical space. This skill is central to construction work.
Why it matters
Many colleges cannot easily take students to construction sites or other field locations because of cost, distance or accessibility. A tested virtual field trip platform could give construction management students, including low-income students and those at under-resourced institutions, hands-on practice in spatial communication anywhere and at any time. The project also aims to provide evidence-based design principles for instructors who build such experiences.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Kristyn Voegele
University of North Dakota, ND·Education Research
Develop an immersive, self-paced online Virtual Field Trip built from imagery and media of real dinosaur paleontology fieldwork for high school and early-college classrooms.
David Reeping
University of Cincinnati, OH·Education Research
Reach expert consensus on the fundamental concepts needed to master cyber-physical systems through a Delphi study, structured rounds of surveys of academic and industry experts.
Jiun-Yu Wu
Southern Methodist University, TX·Education Research
Develop game-based semiconductor learning modules for high-school students, with avatars and peer play, and refine them iteratively through design-based research driven by student feedback.
The school
University of Missouri-Columbia: 21 labs on PI Pages, $509M a year on research, 260 research doctorates a year.
Reach out
A start for your email. Fill in the brackets.