Itinerarios virtuales como herramientas complementarias a las salidas de campo de Biología Marina

ResumenLa realidad extendida combina entornos reales y virtuales mediante interaccionesgeneradas por ordenador, permitiendo extender y ampliar las experiencias sensoriales delusuario. Actualmente, las experiencias de realidad extendida más conocidas son la realidadaumentada (RA) y la realidad virtual (RV) que se están incorporando de manera incrementalen áreas que abarcan desde el marketing, a la sanidad. A pesar de que la aplicación de estastecnologías a la educación es aún reciente, muestran un enorme potencial ya que fomentande manera significativa la motivación y aprendizaje de los estudiantes, se adaptan a distintosestilos de aprendizaje, reducen en cierta medida desigualdades sociales, y facilitan la inclusividady atención a la diversidad en el aula. En este trabajo, presentamos un proyecto que incorporaelementos de RA y RV a la docencia universitaria, con el objetivo de proporcionar unaexperiencia de aprendizaje que favorezca la inmersión en el tema/asignatura y que complementelas prácticas de campo de asignaturas relacionadas con la biología marina. Proporcionamosinformación detallada sobre el proceso diseño y creación del material para promover y facilitarel uso de estas herramientas a cualquier docente interesado.AbstractExtended reality technologies combine real and virtual environments through computergenerated interactions, allowing to extend and amplify the sensory experiences of the user.Currently, the most widely known extended reality experiences are augmented reality (AR) andvirtual reality (VR) which are being increasingly incorporated in a wide variety of areas that rangefrom marketing to health care. Despite the relatively recent application of these technologies ineducation they have already shown an enormous potential, as they significantly improve studentmotivation and learning, adapt to different learning styles, reduce social inequalities to someextent, and facilitate inclusiveness and diversity practices in the classroom. In this work, wepresent a project that incorporates AR and VR to university teaching, with the aim of offering an immersive learning experience that complements field work practices in courses related tomarine biology and zoology. Using 360º images and the open source software Roundme, wehave developed a virtual itinerary through a rocky shore in O Grove (Galicia, Spain), in whichstudents can observe and study the biodiversity associated to the distinct intertidal zones. Wehave also created an underwater VR 360º video that allows students to experience a virtualSCUBA dive in the Marine Reserve of Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata-Níjar (Almería, Spain).During this virtual dive, students can observe and identify the rich biodiversity associated toPosidonia oceanica meadows as well as other characteristic species and communities of thismarine protected area, even if they can’t swim or if they are hundreds of kilometers away fromthe coast. Lastly, we have also designed an AR app that allows the visualization of representativemarine invertebrate 3D models and internal anatomy videos through a smartphone. The 3Dmodels were created with the app Qlone and integrated with QR codes using the softwareCreator to develop the app VitrinasXR, which can be accessed with the open source app Scope.AR and VR are among the tools with the most potential to revolutionize education, significantlypromoting motivation and learning in the classroom. The technological advances and popularityof these tools has made them easy to use for both the teachers and the students, allowing theireffective use in education. Specifically, the application of these technologies to develop virtualitineraries and field trips has added benefits, allowing access to students from all socio-economicbackgrounds, providing flexibility to adapt to different learning styles, and promoting inclusivityand diversity practices in the classroom. Here, we provide detailed information regarding thedesign and creation of our marine biology AR and VR teaching materials, in order to facilitateand encourage their use in higher education by any interested party.