Mark Anderson, Meriel FitzPatrick & Jason Truscott

“any arena or zone within a subject where supervised learning can take place via

first-hand experience, outside the constraints of the four-walls classroom

setting”

Lonergan & Andresen, 1988

“Fieldwork gives opportunities for learning which cannot be duplicated in the

classroom. It greatly enhances students’ understanding of geographical features and concepts, and allows students to

develop specific as well as general skills”

HMI 1992

Fieldwork is good (Boyle et al. 2003;Boyle et al. 2007)

Positive /direct benefits to students (Fuller et al. 2003)

Advantage over lectures as it is “real” (Warburton & Higgett, 1997)

Not universally perceived positively by students (Stokes, 2007)

‘Novelty factor’ / ‘Novelty space’ (Falk et al. 1978; Orion & Hofstein 1994)

Maskall & Stokes, 2008

Promote independence Increase confidence in their own abilities Peer Assisted Learning Pressures of time & costs

Sandway Cellar

University

Kingsand-Cawsand

Lab+ Paper copies – guide, maps, timetables

etc. Risk Assessment Access to website Hand specimens of all rock types found

at Sandway Cellar Training for the PDAs

Website Link

The maps are programmed so certain ‘events’ are triggered when entering a pre-defined location on the map.

The whole environment is termed a ‘Mediascape’

You are here!

Programmedtrigger areas

For example:When you enterhere.

This eventhappens!

Site 1

For example:When you enterhere.

This eventhappens!

Site 5

Engagement – or lack of.

Technology - breakdown

Changing outcrop pattern of rock

Weather

Questionnaires (3 areas): Preparation (Lab+ and website) During the fieldtrip Use of the technology (PDA)

Likert Scale and YES/NO answers

Some questions required free text to suggest how the fieldtrip and resources could be improved.

Interviews (semi-structured)

Stage 1 students – March Questionnaires Interviews

Stage 2 students – June Questionnaires Intended cohort for

Peer Assisted Learningin subsequent year

•Few students engaged•Positive response to the use of the PDA

•Most students engaged•Only 2/8 PDAs worked consistently and well•Positive response “when it works”

Stage 1 students Majority engaged Independent (in groups of 4-6) No Stage 2 mentors Run as part of a tutorial and fieldwork

module Weather OK PDAs worked well On-line questionnaire

Feedback – generally very positive

Question 9 – Did you attend the introductory session to using the PDA before you went on the fieldtrip?

92.6% replied Yes . They took part in the introduction to the PDAs in Labplus

Question 10 – If yes, after having completed the fieldwork please explain how you think this exercise helped you with using the PDA in the field.

'Gave general idea of how to access the software and navigate through screens.’

'it meant we could get on with the work in the field quicker and the was less confusion’

'It introduced us to the way in which the PDA worked and showed us the importance of patience when using them.’

‘It made me familiar with equipment which was usefull’

Question 11“Instructions on the PDA were clear”

Glare on screens Add the other routes to Kingsand on to the

PDA. Make the PDAs work on the coastal path

Put hints onto slides PDA was a useful addition to learning in

the field but is not as good as the one to one interaction with the staff.

Develop links to specific web pages – for help and advice, answering questions.

Screen – use a Tablet PC.

Develop the Peer Assisted aspect to involve Stage 2 students as mentors.

Stage 1 cohort 2009

Stage 2 cohort 2009

Stage 1 cohort 2010

Stage 2 cohort 2010PAEL

Stage 1 cohort 2009

Stage 2 cohort 2010Independent mapping

Stage 2 cohort 2010PAEL

Boyle, A., Conchie, S., Maguire, S., Martin, A., Milsom, C., Nash, R., Rawlinson, S., Turner, A., & Wurthmann, S. (2003). Fieldwork is Good? The Student Experience of Field Courses. Planet, Special Edition, 5, 48-51

 Boyle, A., Maguire, S., Martin, A., Milsom, C., Nash, R., Rawlinson, S., Turner, A., Wurthmann, S. & Conchie, S. (2007). Fieldwork is Good: the Student Perception and the Affective Domain. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 31 (2), 299-317

Falk, J., Martin, W., & Balling, J.(1978) The novel field trip phenomenon: adjustment to novel settings interferes with task learning. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 15(2), 127-134

Fuller, I., Gaskin, S. & Scott, I., (2003). Student perceptions of Geography and Environmental Science fieldwork in the light of restricted access to the field, caused by Foot and Mouth Disease in the UK in 2001. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 27, 79-102

 Maskall, J. & Stokes, A. (2008). Designing Effective Fieldwork for the Environmental and Natural Sciences. GEES Subject Centre, Learning and Teaching Guide

Orion, N., & Hofstein, A., (1994). Factors that Influence Learning during a Scientific Field Trip in a Natural Environment, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 31(10), 1097-1119

Warburton, J. & Higgitt, M., (1997). Improving the Preparation for Fieldwork with IT: two examples from physical geography. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 21(3), 333-347

Stokes, A., (2007) It there a future for fieldwork? [on-line] Available: http://staff.plymouth.ac.uk//cetlexp/fieldwork/intranet.htm (date accessed 19th June 2007)