QuakeQuest: Immersive and Hands-On Earthquake Education Bridging Research Infrastructure and the Classroom

Earthquake education remains challenging in many European education systems where Earth science is not taught as a standalone discipline and seismic risk is often perceived as abstract or distant. This contribution introduces QuakeQuest, an educational project that translates seismological research into immersive and hands-on learning experiences, explicitly designed for non-formal contexts and for direct transfer into classroom practice

QuakeQuest combines experiential learning with low-threshold, reproducible experiments that support inquiry-based teaching on earthquakes, seismic waves and risk mitigation. Physical demonstrations such as mechanical wave machines and “slinky seismometers” are used to visualize P- and S-wave propagation, while 3D-printed models of faults, buildings and Earth structure help learners explore concepts of hazard, vulnerability and resilience. All activities rely on accessible materials, enabling teachers to replicate them with minimal resources.

A central element of the project is the integration of educational research instruments derived from professional seismic monitoring. Simplified seismometers allow participants to record, visualize and interpret real seismic signals, fostering data-driven reasoning and connecting classroom activities with authentic research workflows. These hands-on components are complemented by immersive environments using projection mapping and virtual reality, which contextualize experiments within realistic earthquake scenarios and urban case studies.

The contribution highlights how non-formal educational settings—science outreach events, mobile exhibitions and teacher workshops—can act as innovation hubs for geoscience education. By combining immersive experiences with practical, classroom-ready experiments, QuakeQuest supports teachers in addressing natural hazards in an engaging, scientifically robust and societally relevant manner.

This work is supported by the QuakeQuest Project (PN-IV-P7-7.1-PED-2024-1386), funded by the Ministry of Education and Research through UEFISCDI, within PNCDI IV.