Bustopia—Reimagining Fieldtrips in the Virtual Realm Using a Theme-Based Approach
摘要
Fieldtrips play a crucial role in students’ construction of historical knowledge by providing a platform for experiential learning and enabling them to obtain knowledge beyond the classroom. The popularization of education technology in facilitating teaching and learning in the classroom has encouraged educators to assess the potential of virtual fieldtrips as an alternative to in-person fieldtrips. This chapter proposes an expansion of what constitutes a “fieldtrip-worthy” site—moving beyond fixed physical locations to instead anchor fieldtrips on themes, to enable educators to create more coherent learning experiences grounded in historical concepts as supported by selected technological platforms. Capitalizing on the inquiry-based approach, the chapter provides an example of a virtual fieldtrip on the reorganization of bus services in Singapore in the 1970s that utilizes platforms such as Theasys and Pluto to teach and develop historical concepts and skills.