JoinTaking Science Online: Evaluating Presence and Immersion Through a Laboratory Experience in a Virtual Learning Environment for Entomology Students
A 3–D virtual field trip was integrated into an online college entomology course and developed as a trial for the possible incorporation of future virtual environments to supplement online higher education laboratories. This article provides an explanation of the rationale behind creating the virtual experience, the Bug Farm; the method and rationale for assessing virtual presence within this virtual environment; the results from those measures; and discussion on how similar technologies may be applied to enhance additional online and traditional science courses.