Enhancing Geoscience Communication: Building Virtual Reality Field Trips with the Outcrop Digital Model at Varvito Geological Park of Itu (Brazil, SP)

This article presents an innovative approach to Geosciences education through the development of a Digital Outcrop Model (DOM) combined with virtual reality. Fieldwork has long been a valuable didactic resource for teaching geological processes and rock outcrop analysis. In this study, a photogrammetric survey was conducted on the rhythmite in the “Parque Geológico do Varvito,” and the data was used to create a three-dimensional model. The model was optimized for real-time rendering and adapted to a virtual reality environment. Based on existing literature, a didactic itinerary was designed, allowing users to explore the rhythmite outcrop while receiving educational guidance from teachers on sedimentary formation. The goal is to encourage the use of digital models and gamification techniques to enhance Geosciences teaching, offering an immersive and engaging learning experience for students to understand complex geological processes. The immersiveness of virtual reality aligned with the rhythmite DOM demonstrated to be an engaging solution for Geosciences communication, by supporting virtual fieldworks and accessibility.