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Climate warming is transforming the Arctic, and this transformation has profound impacts on ecosystems, infrastructure, global climate, & public health. Teaching students about the consequences of thawing permafrost is difficult because complex changes are occurring across different spatial and temporal scales and the Arctic is remote & inaccessible. A new, digital learning environment called Polar Explorer will increase student conceptual knowledge of permafrost, its dynamics, and the consequences of permafrost degradation. Polar Explorer will consist of a suite of Learning Experiences (LXs) built around interactive Virtual Field Trips (iVFTs), connected via a high-resolution rendered landscape generated from real Arctic terrain data. Student learning outcomes are designed to meet three goals in introductory undergraduate STEM courses:(1) increase polar science disciplinary knowledge;(2) differentiate …