Unreal field trips? Gamification as key for unlocking the potential of virtual geological fields trips.

Geological field work remains an essential part of geoscience education. The close-up, in-situ experience of geological excursions, allow the observation of our study object in 3D as well as in different scales – an immersion unattainable with classical classroom teaching. Despite the undeniable advantages of field-based teaching, it remains mentally, financially and physically challenging for everyone and inaccessible to some of us. In recent years, more and more “virtual field trips” were developed in the hope to transmit as much of the field experience as possible. The development of interactive virtual field trips is very similar to video game design, and yet the outcome is often far away from exciting, interactive, 3D video game worlds. We therefore attempted to stick to classical tools of video game design, such as the 3D modelling software ‘Blender’ and the ‘Unreal Engine 5’, one of the world's leading engines for video games. In this case study, we created a digital twin of an outcrop of Mesozoic sedimentary rocks using photogrammetry, to achieve a photorealistic 3D environment. Movement and interaction in this world are identical to classical, first-person perspective video games, a familiar setup for most students. The user can move around freely, discover hidden fossils and is guided towards the highlights of the outcrop.

This gamification approach was developed for university students, but with small modifications it could also be employed in outreach situations, such as in teaching in schools or as part of museum exhibitions where an interactive system can be more engaging than a static or linear system and can target an audience group that is not primary interested in the exhibition but attracted by the gamification aspect.