Fieldtrips and placements are core learning activities across many academic disciplines providing exposure to real world problems, environments and work experiences. The Morse project aimed to enhance this learning ‘beyond the institution’ by developing discipline-based approaches to the enhancement and student ownership of field work and placements. The project integrated outcomes from previous projects on mobiles, Web 2.0 and the learner experience to focus on issues of isolation, interaction and collaboration, reflection and feedback. This was achieved through a partnership between students, employers and tutors.
Both fieldtrip and placement students reported positively on the impact of the project innovations on their learning and motivation. The mix of private and public tasks, institutional and third party environments and technologies has been complex across both placements and fieldtrips.
The GIS students responded positively to the implementation of the institutional "GIS laboratory in the field‟, especially in its ability to reduce the time between the collection of primary data and its analysis and being able to complete projects while still in the field.
All fieldtrip cohorts appreciated the role that personal technologies could play in enhancing their participation in learning activities, and there was significant engagement with the GIS Collaboratory mashup. The placement students highly recommend the placement year, and although they found the concept of reflective writing difficult to pick up at first they came realise its value in enhancing their learning. The development and implementation of the UCPD acted as a motivator for students and led to reflective learning being embedded more firmly within the placement curriculum.
Academic staff approaches have developed including skills concerning reflective learning and its assessment, and with regard the role that personal and mobile technologies can play in enhancing student learning.
Andrew, M. February 2009 'Mobilising Remote Student Engagement using mobile and Web 2.0 technologies: initial perspectives' at the IADIS ( International Association for Development of the Information Society) International Conference on Mobile Learning, Barcelona.
Downward, S., Linsey, T., and Ooms, A. 2010 Learning support by mobile technologies on GEES fieldwork, GEES Learning and Teaching 2000 to 2020 10th Anniversary Conference, Plymouth, UK
Field, K. And O‟Brien, J. July 2009 GIS in the outdoors: Progressing fieldwork in geosciences, Presentation at the 9th Annual ESRI Education user Conference, San Diego.
Field, K. S. and O'Brien, J. (2010) Cartoblography: experiments in using and organising the spatial context of micro-blogging, Transactions in GIS, 14 (s1), pp5-23.
Field, K. S. and O'Brien, J. (2010) Micro-blogging mashups: extending the value of social networks through spatial representation, Proceedings of the GIS Research UK 18th Annual Conference, pp209-215
Field, K. And O‟Brien, J. 2010 Deploying innovative mobile learning environments in the geosciences, GEES Learning and Teaching 2000 to 2020 10th Anniversary Conference, Plymouth, UK
Field, K. S. and O'Brien, J. (2010) Developing methods and workflows to support mobile learning for GIS fieldwork, invited keynote presentation at the ESRI UK CHEST user conference, 23rd September 2010
Field, K. S. and O'Brien, J. (2010) Taking GIS out of the classroom: developing effective learning environments with mobile GIS, Proceedings of the GIS Research UK 18th Annual Conference, pp447-454
Hall, R., George, P. and Linsey, T. (2009). Transforming curriculum delivery through technology. 4th JISC International Innovating e-Learning online conference.
Hall, R. & Linsey, T. 2010 Morse presentation and workshop at An HE Academy seminar is being run on “Improving Assessment and Feedback Practices in a Technology-Enhanced Teaching and Learning Environment: Theory and Practice”
O'Brien, J. and Field, K. S. Map design for social‐network map mashups: with purpose and fit for purpose, in preparation for Journal of Geography in Higher Education
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