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Small-Scale Learning and Teaching Research and Development Projects: 2005

Theme: Bringing the ‘Real World’ into the GEES Student Learning Experience

The Theme

Bringing the ‘Real World’ into the GEES Student Learning Experience.

Wherever our graduates go in the future, whether a discipline-related job or onto pastures new, they will experience a world that is challenging and often unpredictable, they may be required to work in mixed teams to solve problems, they will need to think laterally and creatively and use their own initiative to seek out information and resources. The GEES disciplines are ideally placed to develop such skills through the consideration of ‘real world’ applications to the curriculum content. Many individual academics and departments already provide exciting and innovative opportunities for students to experience the ‘real world’ through work-related learning programmes, simulations and games, scenario-based learning, projects and fieldwork. The aim of this thematic programme of funding is to support further curriculum developments and to provide an opportunity for colleagues to share and transfer practice in this area.

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Extended international work-related placements: the challenges of supporting remote learning and assessment

Simon K. Haslett, Department of Geography, Bath Spa University College

A Foundation Degree in Development Geography has recently been validated at Bath Spa University College and includes a three month Level 2 independent work-related placement in a developing country that will offer students 'real-world' experience as field-workers, designed to give graduates a competitive edge in the job-market. The first cohort is due to undertake the placement in October 2006 but, whilst the logistical and health and safety issues are in hand, it has proved problematic to identify case studies and advice in the literature on how to approach providing learning support to students at distant localities over an extended time period, and also how to assess the learning that the students achieve.

This project aims to recommend methods of learning support and assessment for these situations to the GEES community. Initially, the Department will explore various approaches, reviewing what literature is available, then undertaking to visit a placement destination to appreciate the logistical challenges of providing learning support in a developing country. Department workshops will provide the main vehicle for progressing the project with distinct tasks assigned to individual staff members. Younger and/or less experienced staff will be encouraged and guided by Departmental staff more experienced in pedagogic research (e.g. Drs Mark McGuinness and David Simm). Project outcomes will be disseminated within the Department via a final workshop, through Bath Spa University College via an online Knowledge Base, and within the GEES community through a paper to Planet, an online case study, and a presentation at an appropriate GEES meeting.

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The Development of Fieldwork Problem-Based Learning in the Applied Geosciences

David Giles, School of Earth & Environmental Sciences , University of Portsmouth

The principal aim of this project is to develop further a suite of field-orientated problem-based exercises with associated suitable field sites for the applied geosciences. These exercises will include innovations in the learning, teaching and assessment of the field-based skills required of a modern applied geoscientist. The project will develop existing scenario-based fieldwork learning exercises to make them more widely available to the GEES community. The existing exercises will be improved and effectively published for use by other Earth Science departments. Specific site locations and project material will be made available via a web-based resource. The key aspects of student engagement, lateral thinking skills and resource utilisation will be developed within these field-based programmes and scenario-based exercises. The proposed project will focus on developing approaches to engaging students within applied geoscience fieldwork programmes as well as developing innovation in learning, teaching and assessment in this field-based learning environment.

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Reflecting on the ‘real world’: Solving problems and developing skills

Paul Wright, School of Maritime & Coastal Studies, Southampton Solent University

This project is a collaboration between Southampton Solent University and the National University of Ireland, Maynoth (NUIM). It builds upon excellence in a range of pedagogic themes developed within GEES, and applies these learning to the Irish context.

A module in Geographical Research Skills will be adapted at NUIM, focussing on issues of littering and recycling, which are currently exercising the local community. Students will develop proposals to investigate underlying attitudes. Concurrently, students will be introduced to the practice of reflection, using blogs. Students will use this writing to evidence a learning journey that results from the delivery of the proposal. Investigation into these reflections might show shifts in students’ attitudes to the problem itself. This reflection will be continued into an independent project that ends with an exercise in CV building and PDP (which is not obligatory in Irish HE), using the blog as part of the claim for skills development, reflection on the learning experience, and suggestions for career planning. Therefore, the project will start and finish with the strong message that geography can both help solve, and develop skills for, real world issues.

The project leader will evaluate these interventions. This will form the focus of the project report, whilst a secondary report will discuss the techniques used to capture student attitudes to the learning experience, as well as a case study of external project evaluation that might be of wider use to the GEES community.

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Developing student awareness of innovative methodologies in real-world contexts

Derek McCormack & Alan Latham, School of Geography, University of Southampton

Final year Geography students are particularly aware of the value to potential employers of skills developed during their undergraduate education, especially those analytical and methodological techniques developed in field and group work. However, students often find it more difficult to grasp the real-world value and application of more innovative and experimental research techniques, such as those employing visual and audio elements. Significant potential therefore exists for developing ways of increasing student awareness and experience of the real world value of these techniques. Evidence from disciplines such as engineering and computer science suggests that group project management provides a particularly effective way of develop this awareness. This project therefore aims to develop appropriate group-work strategies and scenarios through which students can engage with and develop a critical appreciation of the real world application of innovative qualitative research methodologies. The context within which the goal of the project will be pursued is an established third year fieldcourse to Berlin. The proposed project aims to redesign elements of this unit by producing group-work scenarios modelled on the way in which commercial companies employ ethnographic video and audio material and produce webbased products. The project will evaluate the potential of these scenarios to: (a) allow students to develop better appreciation of how the methods they employ might be applied in real-world situations; (b) develop critical awareness of the group-work dynamics necessary for the success of such situations, and; (c) develop a professional ethos through the construction of collaborative web-based projects.

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Understanding the use of PDP in the ‘real world’

Pauline E. Kneale, School of Geography, University of Leeds

While PDP is now part of the academic scene, and in the toolkit of many GEES students, there is not always a clear understanding of the link between University PDP processes and the processes and procedures in the workplace, and the longer term benefits of understanding about reflection and action planning.

In depth interviews will be undertaken with three people who use PDP at work. Their views on the benefits and disbenefits of the process, the procedures used and their attitudes to the process will be explored. The three interviewees will be selected from contrasting companies, private and public sector, which employ GEES graduates.

The interviews will be used as the basis for developing a series of activities which can be run with GEES students in tutorials and workshops, and the GEES departmental Workshops on PDP. These will focus on understanding the nature of planning as part of normal work processes, the role it plays in promotion, and as a benefit for career development. Links will be made to the role PDP plays in personal career advancement, in helping to develop workplace skills such as networking, and intrapreneurial and entrepreneurial approaches to managing your own place in the real world.

The activities will make explicit links back students own personal development planning processes while they are at university, and to the potential usefulness of the process in placements, dissertations and project planning, and to casual and vacation employment.

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Environmental Baseline Teaching Simulation (EBTS)

Zoe Robinson, School of Physical and Geographical Sciences, Keele University

Devised in collaboration with environmental consultancy MJCA, the EBTS project will give students the opportunity to conduct a realistically simulated baseline environmental survey in a professional commercial framework. This simulation will teach field and laboratory skills integral to the physical geography course while developing key employability skills and explicitly demonstrating the applicability of these skills to employment in the environmental sector. Close collaboration with the MJCA environmental consultancy in setting up and running the program will ensure that the 'real-world' scenario is realistic.

The Technical Director of Geological Services at MJCA will present students with the project requirements (carrying out an environmental baseline survey of an area of the Keele University campus). Students will determine what information they need to collect (water analyses, water levels etc.) within their assigned budget. Students will go through the stages of project planning and risk assessing, deciding on required resources, collecting, collating and analysing data, and presenting results in a technical report. The external collaborator will then provide additional formative feedback on the reports.

This project will provide a case study detailing how traditional geographical skills and techniques sessions can be re-orientated to allow greater emphasis on subject-specific employability skills, and the perception of both the student and employer of the value of such projects. The project will be adapted to facilitate the production of a publicly accessible electronic learning resource applicable to the range of GEES subjects, and project results will be integrated into existing publicly accessible websites about the Keele campus environment.

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The learning of others – students as ‘learning facilitators’

Faith Tucker, School of Social Sciences, University of Northampton

This project will develop resources to help students to recognise and develop their geographical skills through reflection and practice. Through applying for and undertaking a role in facilitating the geographical learning of others, students will develop skills of reflection, analysis, presentation and organisation, gain valuable work experience and become independent learners. Students will keep reflective diaries of their development as ‘learning facilitators’ and integrate this into their personal development planning. Working closely with Careers Advisors, the project will develop transferable learning resources (including materials suitable for use within Virtual Learning Environments) on reflective learning, career planning and methods of facilitating the learning of others, that are embedded within personal development planning.

The project will build upon existing work on ‘geographers as teachers’ by providing opportunities for students to gain experience of facilitating others’ learning in a range of work-based contexts. Opportunities to facilitate others’ learning within schools and voluntary organisations (through University College Northampton’s nationally recognised ‘Community Volunteers’ programme) will be available, as will opportunities for working with peers in both classroom and fieldwork contexts. This project will develop materials to help broaden the range of environments in which work-based learning may take place. Materials will be trialled with a ‘cascading partner(s)’ in 2006/7. The project responds to government initiatives and UCN’s Strategic Plan with respect to personal development planning and reflective learning.

Information about the project will be disseminated through internal dedicated webpages, external websites, seminars, conference papers and publications. Links will be made with other HEIs and five selected HEA Subject Centres.

This project is embedded within UCN’s Learning and Teaching Strategic Aims and therefore this will ensure the sustainability of the work.

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Enhancing Environmental Entrepreneurship Education

Fiona Tilley, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds

The objective of the project is to further enhance environmental entrepreneurship education in GEES institutions. This will be achieved by adapting generic entrepreneurship learning materials for the needs of environmental entrepreneurs. Particular emphasis will be placed on finance, marketing and creative techniques linked to environmental values. Learning materials are important to student development but when gaining vocational skills so is contact with environmental entrepreneurs. This gives the learning experience much needed credibility and legitimacy. Student learning is greatly improved by providing students with ‘real world’ mentors. Identifying suitable mentors is challenging, as there are no ready-made directories of environmental entrepreneurs that can be used as a source of contact. To resolve this issue a database of mentors will be developed through this project. This will be achieved by increased network activity in the region and attendance at events attended by environmental entrepreneurs. To inform the mentors of their role and responsibilities, a training pack, tailored to their needs, will be developed. Finally a workshop will be held to explore ways in which the learning materials and experience gained from delivering envi3310 environmental enterprise project module can be transferred to other GEES institutions.

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Development of a virtual workplace to bring the ‘real world’ to undergraduates

Jenny Jones, School of Biological & Earth Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University

The proposed project builds on excellence achieved in the School of Biological and Earth Science in work based learning, and virtual fieldwork. The project will produce a virtual workplace (VW) to support students preparing for work based or sandwich placements or those simply wanting greater awareness of the ‘real world’ of employment. The project timescale will allow development of a prototype VW aimed at supporting students on GEES degree programmes. The VW will be highly interactive and will comprise text elements, video clips, and interactive images. The project will benefit from networks already established with the JMU Learning Development Unit, the Careers Service, employers, and external academics. The project will integrate the real world with the world of study facilitating better understanding of employment for students in GEES disciplines. It will enable students to tailor their learning about employability to their level of study. Level 2 content will focus on preparation for the workplace by enabling students to learn about elements of a professional workplace and to understand workplace tasks. Level 3 material will incorporate reflective elements requiring students to monitor their actual/perceived acquisition of employability attributes and skills. The VW will be readily transferable to other disciplines.

The project leader has extensive experience of work based learning; the other project member developed the virtual fieldwork The virtual fieldwork software is readily adaptable to formulation of the virtual workplace. Consequently, the project team will not require any developmental time/costs.

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How effectively do we bring the ‘Real World’ into Postgraduate Teaching?

Chris Elders, Department of Geology, Royal Holloway, University of London

Masters courses in Earth Science subjects emphasise their vocational relevance, but how effective is the training that we provide? First destination statistics show that vocationally oriented courses are highly effective at providing graduates with the skills they need to enter the job market, but how sustainable are those careers, and to what extent does the skills training that we provide support future career development? This project aims to collect longitudinal career data from well established vocational maters courses which will be used to assess the value of “Real World” training in providing a foundation for sustainable careers in subject-related disciplines and/or in helping graduates to adapt to changing careers within or external to the discipline. Questionnaires will be used to determine the value of ‘Real World’ training for graduates who have followed a variety of career paths and to provide feedback that will inform future curriculum development. The outcome of the project will be quantitative research that addresses the value of ‘Real World’ vocational training and solid data that will encourage HE entrants considering long term careers in GEES-related disciplines.

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Acting sustainably: encouraging and crediting student engagement in sustainable development

Jenny Elliott, School of the Environment, University of Brighton

This project centres on the development of new learning and teaching resources and opportunities for students of undergraduate programmes within the School of the Environment at the University of Brighton towards embedding sustainable development and citizenship within these programmes. Project finances will be used to support the necessary cross-divisional collaboration of staff within the School and to engage with new University initiatives. The principal outputs of the project will be two new modules that will enhance the quality of the learning experience of students at the University of Brighton, but will include course materials and identification of principles of best practice available through the web and published sources that will be of value to staff and students of the GEES disciplines within the wider academic community.

Finding ways to act more sustainably is very much part of the real world in which all citizens of the globe now live. It is stated as a major policy goal of many of the institutions of contemporary society including the financers of Higher Education in England and Wales (see HEFCE, 2005, Sustainable Development in Higher Education) and the University sector itself (see Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability, 2004, Learning and Skills for Sustainable Development). The UK Government has a commitment to encourage volunteering amongst all sectors of society (Russell Commission) and enhancing student learning in the community is a priority area within the University of Brighton’s recently established Community University Partnership Programme.

Whilst many students of GEES disciplines (at the University of Brighton and beyond) are familiar with the concept of sustainable development, these curricula developments will focus on the real world practices of sustainable action, provide students with practical experience of applied research and reward (through crediting of voluntary activities) their own engagement with community development.

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The Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences,
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