The digital native generation of students and the technological facilities developed in the last years offer new perspectives in teaching Geosciences in the XXI century. The workshop will be dedicated at vesting the new microscope classroom and the 3D/VR laboratory and experiencing a virtual fieldtrip at the Department of Geosciences (University of Padova): 
The microscopy classroom, equipped with polarised and reflected light microscopes with digital cameras directly connected with the class projector, represents a new teaching system since students can share with the rest of the class what is under their microscope. This allows to actively interact with class and develop a student-centered teaching, improving students' ability to work at the microscope, to communicate with the class and the teacher, using appropriate terminology and gaining confidence in presenting the topics. Moreover, the interactive rock thin-section digital library allows innovative tools to complement teachers' actions, and gives students the opportunity to practise thin-section study also remotely.
The 3D/VR laboratory is equipped with 10 workstations and Oculus-S3 Virtual reality systems  and dedicated software for 3D and VR digital outcrops visualization and analysis such as VR2Planets, VRGS and Lime. With this cutting-edge laboratory, we are able to offer students the opportunity to explore otherwise inaccessible environments enabling, virtual geological field trips, interactive planetary exploration and seamless visualization of digital outcrop models. Each virtual excursion will be designed to demonstrate the vast amount of teaching material and information that can be integrated into the virtual model, significantly enhancing the learning experience compared to traditional approaches. The VR environment is capable of integrating diverse datasets, enhances students' spatial reasoning skills, deepens their understanding of complex geological concepts, and prepares them for the digital nature of modern scientific research.

LEADERS
Andrea Bistacchi (Università di Milano - Bicocca), Matteo Massironi (Università di Padova)
 
EMAIL
andrea.bistacchi@unimib.it
 
DATE
15 September 2025
 
PARTECIPANTS
Minimum number of participants: 10
Maximum number of participants: 30
 
COST
FREE
 
DESCRIPTION
3D geological modelling was developed since the '90s, but it has largely remained confined to the oil & gas sector, for which most proprietary (and costly) software has been developed. Nowadays, 3D modelling is rapidly expanding its horizons, with applications including base geological mapping (such as the CARG project), natural hazards, engineering geology, hydrogeology, and also planetary geology (where analysing data in 3D makes the results significantly more reliable).
The workshop will be dedicated to introducing PZero: a new open-source 3D modelling tool, also developed within the framework of the PNRR Geosciences IR project. Participants will learn how to create simple 3D models using PZero during the course that will include a concise theoretical part, closely integrated with practical exercises.
The main topics will be: (1) fundamentals of geomodelling, topology, discrete models, meshes and grids, interpolation techniques; (2) sources of 3D data: surface data, boreholes and wells, remote sensing, geophysics; (3) software and algorithms: limitations and capabilities; (4) modelling of a simple structure with faults and folds.
 
Prerequisites are just a general knowledge of stratigraphy, structural geology, and basics of geophysical datasets.
 
PROGRAMME
Duration: 12:00 - 16:00