Incorporating virtual field education opportunities has enabled geoscience programs to offer fieldwork to students who may not otherwise be able to participate. Various terms have been ascribed to these virtual field opportunities, ranging significantly in interactivity, immersion, design, and content. While some terms describe the unique experiences within a particular virtual field opportunity, others have been used more broadly, encompassing multiple types of fieldwork and instructional design. As the field continues to grow, consolidating the terminology and providing meaningful definitions will reduce potential confusion and provide a framework for geoscience education research.
We performed a literature analysis of publications on virtual field opportunities to determine underlying trends in terminology use, pedagogical framework, and design. The compiled dataset comprising 85 publications was coded based on fieldwork type, geographic type, delivery method, interaction, assessment implementation, environment type, and primary terminology. Similar terms describing virtual field opportunities were combined when possible, resulting in nine different terms and an 'other' category. We conducted a multiple correspondence analysis on the coded dataset, allowing for a simplified representation of the multidimensional dataset. Results show that opportunities incorporating active learning strategies and a delivery method facilitating independent work are associated with problem-solving fieldwork. Classification of these experiences would range from 'virtual field courses' to 'virtual field experiences' to 'virtual outcrops.' Opportunities that tended toward passive interaction were associated with observational field trips and had greater involvement between a student and facilitator during the experience, typically being classified as 'virtual field guides' or 'virtual globes.' 'Virtual field trip' was among the most broadly applied terms in the dataset, overlapping with multiple other virtual opportunities, thus indicating its potential as an all-inclusive classification for virtual field opportunities. We recommend an updated lexicon with clearly defined definitions that pertain to the user experience and pedagogical design within the opportunity.