Interactive Virtual Geotrail : Chedoke Radial Trail

Abstract

The Niagara Escarpment is a world-famous geological feature and an excellent subject for learning Earth and Environmental Science. This makes it an excellent site for a virtual Geotrail, which provides an online educational journey similar to an in-person field trip which explores the many facets of the geology of the feature. This interactive virtual Geotrail augments online learning of geoscientific concepts in the areas of sedimentology, structural geology, and surface processes through informed exposure to features along the trail. To provide a more immersive learning experience 360 images, 3D models, virtual microscopes and videos were embedded with the text and figures to replicate the experience of being in the field. Embedded in the field trip are questions which prompt the users to consider the implications of the geology of the area. This geotrail focuses on the Chedoke Radial Trail in Hamilton Ontario, which follows the edge of the escarpment exposing many interesting geological features.

The field trip is intended as a lesson or part of a lesson in an introductory geoscience course or sedimentology course. The focus of the geotrail is on Paleozoic age sedimentary rocks, with the inclusion of carbonate petrology and basic structural concepts. These resources are hosted in the ESRI online ArcGIS StoryMaps domain and made openly available for use by institutions across the province.