摘要
Highlights What are the main findings? Integrating virtual drones with 3D terrain modeling enables safe and efficient aerial observation, overcoming the limitations of traditional instruction. Task-oriented simulated flights enhance students' spatial understanding, critical judgment, and decision-making in authentic contexts such as settlement site selection. Experimental results show that students improved in learning outcomes, intrinsic motivation, and system satisfaction, while maintaining a stable cognitive load. This suggests that the virtual drone system effectively supports exploration of geographic features, hydrological patterns, and settlement relationships. What is the implication of the main finding? The virtual drone system developed in this study functions as a portable and interactive platform, allowing students to investigate mountains, river terraces, and meanders through exploratory tasks. Viewing landscapes from multiple perspectives promotes spatial thinking and cognitive flexibility. Drone simulations provide a cost-effective, safe, and flexible approach to authentic environmental observation and spatial literacy. They integrate fieldwork-like experiences with technological skill development, offering high interactivity and low entry barriers for geography education.Highlights What are the main findings? Integrating virtual drones with 3D terrain modeling enables safe and efficient aerial observation, overcoming the limitations of traditional instruction. Task-oriented simulated flights enhance students' spatial understanding, critical judgment, and decision-making in authentic contexts such as settlement site selection. Experimental results show that students improved in learning outcomes, intrinsic motivation, and system satisfaction, while maintaining a stable cognitive load. This suggests that the virtual drone system effectively supports exploration of geographic features, hydrological patterns, and settlement relationships. What is the implication of the main finding? The virtual drone system developed in this study functions as a portable and interactive platform, allowing students to investigate mountains, river terraces, and meanders through exploratory tasks. Viewing landscapes from multiple perspectives promotes spatial thinking and cognitive flexibility. Drone simulations provide a cost-effective, safe, and flexible approach to authentic environmental observation and spatial literacy. They integrate fieldwork-like experiences with technological skill development, offering high interactivity and low entry barriers for geography education.Abstract This study combined virtual reality technology with drone aerial imagery of Smangus, a remote Atayal tribe situated 1500 m above sea level in Hsinchu County, Taiwan, to develop a virtual drone system. This study aims to investigate the learning effectiveness and operational experience associated with the application of the virtual drone system for exploring tribal natural landscapes and enhancing junior high school students' learning of Indigenous settlement site selection. A quasi-experimental design was conducted with two seventh-grade classes from a junior high school in Hsinchu County, Taiwan. The experimental group (n = 43) engaged with the virtual drone system to perform settlement site selection tasks, while the control group (n = 42) learned using traditional materials such as PowerPoint slides and maps. The intervention consisted of two instructional sessions, with data collected via achievement tests, questionnaires, and open-ended feedback.
The results indicated that students in the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in learning outcomes. Positive responses were also observed in learning motivation, cognitive load, and system satisfaction. Students reported that the virtual drone system improved students' understanding of terrain and enhanced their skills in selecting appropriate sites while increasing their interest and motivation in learning. Moreover, the course incorporated the Atayal people's migration history and field interview data, enriching its cultural authenticity and contextual relevance.