FAQs

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Frequently Asked Questions

At some point there will be a virtual field trip with integrated interpretation. Guidance will be provided separately for the others, but this will be in a password-protected forum. The reason for the latter is to allow most of the virtual fieldwork resources to be used flexibly at a range of academic levels, including for assessment purposes. Besides, virtual fieldwork with integrated interpretation can be rather passive for the viewer.

You need a computer, laptop or other mobile device, with an internet connection. There is no requirement for any browser plug-ins, although the browser itself should be reasonably up to date (compliant with HTML 5).

That would be great, and it is undoubtedly the future. At this point, however, creating a genuinely realistic landscape in which you can navigate anywhere would be hugely expensive to develop, and would also require the user to have high-end graphics processing hardware.

I am more than happy to discuss new projects, but please be aware that the main development work (other than fieldwork) usually takes place in whatever time I can find around my main commitments. As such, I am really looking for mutually beneficial collaborations – preferably projects with multiple outcomes. For example, you may be able to contribute to the development of the resource in some way. Or there may be publication opportunities (pedagogical and/or research).

That would be great. The resources are free to use, but I would greatly appreciate it if you could let me know how you are planning to use them, and provide some feedback on how it goes. This enables me to demonstrate impact, and provides justification for continued investment of time and other resources.

I am happy to help if I can. However, please be aware that this project continues to be developed on top of my other commitments, so I don’t have a lot of spare time.

This is a limitation of iOS, but it should not really detract from the viewing experience.

Latest Posts

Revised Cwm Idwal virtual field trip

Until now, all the virtual field trips on VR Glaciers have been self-guided. That is, they are provided without interpretation. I have taken this approach because it provides the flexibility for the same virtual field trip to be used in different ways. During the pandemic, for example, I heard how the Arolla virtual field trip

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New virtual field trips coming soon

After something of a hiatus due to the pandemic, I’m pleased to announce that there will be two new virtual field trips added to the site soon. One is a guided virtual field trip to Cwm Idwal (Snowdonia National Park, North Wales), which has been produced in collaboration with Dr Lynda Yorke (Bangor). This will

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If you have a question that is not answered here, please get in touch.

Picture of Dr Des McDougall (BSc, PhD, SFHEA)

Dr Des McDougall (BSc, PhD, SFHEA)

I'm a Physical Geographer at the University of Worcester (England, UK). Interests include mountain glaciers, mountain geomorphology and Quaternary environmental change. I'm also interested in the use of virtual reality in teaching.

Can you help?

In order to support the ongoing development of this site, it would be really helpful if you could let me know why and how you use the resource. I’d also appreciate hearing any ideas you may have for improvements. Thank you!