Workshop at the British Ecological Society Annual Meeting - Belfast 2019 #BES2019. Developing key graduate skills for ecology students while on fieldwork.

1. Workshop: How to run the best
fieldcourse to develop key
graduate skills
Alice Mauchline, Emma Peasland,
Rebecca Thomas & Nick Worsfold

2. Objectives of session
• To share ideas and develop a peer network
• To explore the key skills needed by ecology
graduates
• To consider ways to develop these during
fieldwork
• To share fieldwork resources
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF

3. Maw et al. (2011) Biological fieldwork provision in Higher Education. Bioscience Education, 17-1.
Tutors' most important reasons for fieldwork from
2010 survey:
1 To experience ‘real’ biology
2 To learn key practical skills
3 To enthuse and motivate students
4 To develop group and social cohesion and learning
5 To develop professional skills
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF

4. Three key skills you want your
ecology graduates to develop
during fieldwork
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF

5. Key skills for ecology graduates – Word Cloud
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF

6. Line up!
In order of the number of years of
field teaching experience you have
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF

7. Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF

8. Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF

9. Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF

10. Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
Fieldwork skills
Summarised from the literature in Peasland et al.
(2019) The influence of fieldwork design on
student perceptions of skills development during
field courses, International Journal of Science
Education.
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF

11. Pictionary
Describe how you would develop
a key graduate skill during a
fieldwork activity
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF

12. Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
Peasland, E.L., Henri, D.C., Morrell , L.J. & Scott, G.W. (2019) The influence of fieldwork design on student
perceptions of skills development during field courses, International Journal of Science Education.
Skills – as identified by students (Peasland et al. 2019)
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF

13. Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
Peasland, E.L., Henri, D.C., Morrell , L.J. & Scott, G.W. (2019) The influence of fieldwork design on student
perceptions of skills development during field courses, International Journal of Science Education.
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF

14. Pictionary
Describe how you could
co-create a field activity with
your students that would
develop a key graduate skill
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF

15. Fieldwork Resources
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF

16. Fieldwork Audit Tool
• Reflective tool designed to help staff examine and
develop current fieldwork practices
• Series of questions that help staff identify
– Aspects of current good practice
– Areas where change might be needed
– Innovations in fieldwork learning
• Staff can then review & improve on any aspects that are
underperforming
• Available at: www.enhancingfieldwork.org.uk
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF

17. Setting up a successful
fieldcourse
https://enhancingfieldwork.org.uk/author/fieldwor
kntf/
https://www.slideshare.net/fieldwork_ntf/setting-
up-a-successful-field-course
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF

18. Tips: Pre-fieldwork
Have clear learning outcomes
Skills development
Find the right field site
Prepare students
Prepare fieldwork methods
Prepare field kit (inc.
technology?)
Risk assessment and H&S
Consider the sustainability and
ethics of the work
Insurance
Data collection, storage &
sharing
Accessibility & wellbeing
Assessment & supervision
Social cohesion
Plan travel and logisitcs
Check permissions for
access to field sites
Consider value for money
Consider different learning
opportunities
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF

19. Tips: During fieldwork
Consider student wellbeing
Allow time for students to plan and develop hypotheses
Encourage team-working
Provide informal feed-back during activities
Consider how mobile technologies might be useful
Provide good communication routes
Be flexible and adapt to situations
Avoid students working alone
Make contingency plans
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF

20. Tips: Post-fieldwork
Set reflective tasks
Provide feedback promptly
Develop fieldwork learning in follow-on lectures etc.
Reflect yourself and amend plans for next time
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF

21. • Aim – To enhance student learning during fieldwork
through the use of technology
• Investigating use of mobile technologies to enhance
learning including concept of ‘Bring Your Own Device’
• Website full of fieldwork teaching resources
• Showcase – The Open University – Sept 2020
Networks: Enhancing Fieldwork Learning
www.enhancingfieldwork.org.uk
@fieldwork_ntf
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF

22. Networks: BES Teaching and Learning SIG
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF

23. Books
• Maskall, J. and Stokes, A. (2008) Designing Effective Fieldwork
for the Environmental and Natural Sciences. GEES Subject
Centre Learning and Teaching Guide.
https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/designing-
effective-fieldwork-environmental-and-natural-sciences
• France, D. et al. (2015) Enhancing Fieldwork Learning using
Mobile Devices. Springer Briefs in Ecology, Springer.
• Henderson, P.A. and Southwood, T.R.E. (2016) Ecological
methods. 4th Edition. John Wiley & Sons.
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF

24. Resources for students
• Peacock, J., Mauchline, A. and Park, J.R. (2011) Fieldwork. In:
Effective Learning in the Life Sciences: How students can
achieve their true potential. Ed. Adams, D. Wiley-Blackwell.
• EFL Student pages https://enhancingfieldwork.org.uk/student-learning/
https://enhancingfieldwork.org.uk/student-research/
• Travel guide - helping you prepare for your travel abroad
https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/system/files/travel20guide20for20students2
0and20staff20unbranded.pdf
• Coming soon… BES Guide to Field Research
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF

25. • Field Studies Council www.field-studies-council.org
• British Ecological Society
https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/learning-and-
resources/learning-resources/
• Royal Geographical Society https://www.rgs.org/in-the-field/
• The Geological Society https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/FieldResources
• Enhancing Fieldwork Learning www.enhancingfieldwork.org
• DIG UK https://theiagd.org/dig-uk/
• Advance HE (formerly HEA) www.heacademy.ac.uk
Fieldwork Websites
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
Workshop: Fieldwork to
develop key graduate skills
@BES_TLSIG
@FIELDWORK_NTF