Geoscience education using virtual worlds

Virtual Worlds are immersive environments enabling situated and constructivist learning, where the learner is inside a computer-simulated environment. Here, activities and experiences can take place using different didactic approaches, engaging the students and enhancing the learning process. This paper describes design and experimental results of three-dimensional immersive virtual environments dedicated to geosciences teaching at school for 12–19-year-old students. The aim of the project was to test the educational effectiveness of the virtual worlds to foster knowledge acquisition and increase students’ interest in geosciences. A 3D virtual environment dedicated to geoscience topics was developed where students and science teachers were invited to visit paths on volcanoes, earthquakes, rocks, water and other themes relevant for the school curriculum, in a highly interactive mode, useful to engage digital-native students. Results revealed the high potential for this approach in geoscience education. The virtual environment was especially useful during the COVID-19 lockdown, when it was impossible to carry out laboratory classes and field trips