Enhancing And Diversifying Fieldwork Teaching Through Immersive 360 Projection Space

Fieldwork is a key learning component of geoscience training and education, providing students with hands-on experience and a deeper understanding of geoscience concepts plus 3D spatial awareness of complex geological structures. Research shows that extended field trips significantly enhance these skills compared to lab- or theory-based activities alone. However, taking students to all world-class outcrops and fascinating geological sites is unfeasible due to cost, logistical challenges, environmental concerns, or restrictions during pandemic events.

To address this challenge, our Geosciences Department introduced the IglooLab in 2024, an innovative immersive learning laboratory (https://lio.univ-lyon1.fr/formation/les-plateformes-pedagogiques/plateforme-pedagogique-igloolab). The IglooLab is a 360-degree projection room, measuring 6 meters in diameter and 2.5 meters in height, equipped with five short-throw projectors and a surround sound system built by Igloo Ltd. It accommodates up to nine students and a teacher, offering high-resolution, interactive 360° media, such as photospheres, 360° videos, virtual tours (created with KRPano), and 3D digital outcrop models displayed using game engine frameworks.

This cutting-edge platform has been integrated into three distinct teaching modules for undergraduate geoscience students:

• Fieldwork Preparation: Training students in essential field practices, including the use of geological compasses, topographic maps, and field notebooks to ensure safety and efficiency in real-life fieldwork.
• Geomorphology and Landscape Deciphering: Through a virtual tour of the Gulf of Corinth, Greece, students analyze markers of active tectonics at multiple scales, from outcrop features and landslide geometries to large-scale terrace extensions.
• Petrology and Volcanology: Using 360°video of eruptions combined to 3D models of explosive and effusive volcanic edifices, students identify and describe morphotectonic features, link volcanic products to eruption dynamics, and analyze how these features relate to geological processes described in previous lectures. Adjacent teaching room allows students to work with geological maps and rock samples to complement (back and forth) the immersive experience.

The IglooLab does not replace traditional field trips but enhances fieldwork teaching in multiple ways. It serves as a multifunctional tool for virtual visits to world-class outcrops, preparation for field safety and best practices, and post-field trip debriefing and report corrections in an immersive, interactive environment. This innovative approach ensures that students receive a well-rounded, practical education while overcoming logistical barriers and expanding their exposure to diverse geological settings.