Enhancement of active learning: the role of VLEs in developing student engagement prior to fieldwork

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Enhancement of active learning the role of VLEs
in developing student engagement prior to
fieldwork
Dr John Hunt Dr David Milan School of
Environment, University of Gloucestershire
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The Alpine Field Trip Background and Issues

• A high mountain field excursion to the Arolla
  covering students majoring in
• Physical Geography
• Geography
• Environmental Science
• Water Resource Management

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Fieldtrip timing

• Traditional residential fieldweeks e.g.
  UK-based, Mediterranean lower altitude northern
  European trips are scheduled in the Christmas to
  late Easter period
• Snow cover and general weather conditions impose
  practical and health safety constraints
• A Year 2/ Level 2 field trip is only possible
  in
• early Summer (post exam for students finishing
  2nd year)
• late Summer (pre-semester for students entering
  2nd year)

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Early summer advantages

• Students have the experience of their second
  level modules behind them
• They are more intellectually advanced /
  academically prepared

Sitting on the shoulders of giants?
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Early summer disadvantages

• Field trip is too late to inform dissertation
  choice
• Students tired need break
• Students want to earn money
• Students already have dissertation commitments
• De-mob happy..

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Late summer advantages

• Students potentially may have a greater
  apreciation of the background to features seen
  on fieldwork when they encounter related
  lecture-based theory in their second year
• Students may be inspired to do dissertations
  related to subject matter covered in their
  fieldweek

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Late summer disadvantages

• No face to face contact in the months prior to
  departure
• Limited briefing opportunities
• Limited access to on-campus resources (library)
  for remote students
• Students do not have the depth of knowledge one
  would normally anticipate from a mid-year or near
  year end Level 2 student

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A VLE to control the downsides

• The late summer option was favoured as the
  negatives were more within the control and
  influence of the academic staff
• WebCT used to ensure greater accesibility to
  pre-trip briefing outside term time
• WebCT used to enhance prior academic knowledge

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Our principles for WebCT pre-briefing

• To introduce as much of the academic,
  administrative and logistical information as
  early as possible
• To predict, wherever possible, all the
  difficulties and last minute questions before
  they were asked
• To respond to questions from students on the day
  that they were asked, or to prior warn students
  that there would be a specified delay
• To provide alternative back-up to the VLE in case
  of technological failings
• To enter into an e-relationship with the students
  with as light, enthusiastic and humorous approach
  as we could muster

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WebCT was used to ensure that the student should
be

• Enthused into being a self-starter
• Equipped with sufficient resources
• Entered into learning networks unimpeded by
  barriers and dead-ends caused by limited
  intellectual resources
• Encouraged into developing a sense of ownership
• Embraced into a culture of co-operative learning
• Energised at the outset

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Active Learning

• Learning in which the learner is the principal
  driving force, with the instructor as the
  facilitator of the process. Could include
  experiential learning, co-operative learning, and
  problem solving for example

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Engaging students in active learning an
E-enthusing approach

• Prior knowledge reduces uncertainties the
  unknown in the learners mindset
• Prior knowledge pre-forged group identity
  enhances students team-learning shared working
  skills
• Seeding of project scientific ideas generates a
  more confident hands-on approach

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Entry point to the VLE
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VLE example 1 research resources
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VLE example 2 types of practical information
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VLE example 3 practical information
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VLE example 4 communication
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Staff advantages

• Provides focal communication point, unlike email
• Enables early identification of ghost students,
  or students slow to engage

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• What were the best aspects of WebCT?
• It had the personal touch It was nice to see
  what other people had been saying
• Being able to communicate with a large group
  (students and lecturers) and the speed of
  response
• Discussion allowed easy access to info
• The communications available with all students
• Obvious reliable contact aid to both lecturers
  and other students

• What were the worst aspects of WebCT?
• Loading time for large files from home (cant be
  helped really)
• Sometimes trying to get onto it
• Access on some occasions
• I couldnt get on it for ages also lots of info
  took ages to download or wouldnt download at
  all

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Did you enjoy the visual format and use of icons
on WebCT?

• Yes, it helped to make it more user friendly
• Yes, it was easy to understand at first glance
• Yes, it was easy to view find the info I
  needed
• Yes, it made it less effort to figure out
  what's what
• Yes, very entertaining informative
• Yes, it was well structured and easy to find
  your way around the site
• Yes, almost amusing!!!
• Yes, very funny
• Yes, it was better than black white text
• Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes
• We think they liked it?

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Has WebCT made you more aware of research and
research journals?

• Yes its a lot easier accessing journals this
  way than in the learning centre

Yes very much
Not at all
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Did WebCT enhance your enjoyment of the module?

• Yes except when it doesnt work
• Made the trip smooth from the off
• Have to see if it helps with the report write-up

Yes very much
Not at all
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Did you feel that WebCT made you engage more in
the module?

• Boosted morale and made me look forward to it
  more
• Yes, because it made me feel more prepared, not
  only having research but also communicating with
  everyone else
• Made communication easier

Yes very much
Not at all
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Conclusions

• WebCT has provided what one student termed a
  crucial platform for delivering briefing and
  preparatory sessions in the build up to an
  out-of-semester residential fieldweek.
  Furthermore
• It has developed a community of learners from
  students, many of whom had not met or did not
  know each other
• It has enhanced the student enjoyment of the
  module
• It has enabled the student to engage more in the
  module
• It has enhanced the students awareness of
  academic resources and the culture of reading and
  citing research journals.

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From a staff perspective

• Massively facilitated the management of fieldwork
• Facilitated a build-up of rapport with the
  students prior to fieldwork far greater than in
  years where conventional briefing lectures were
  the sole means of engagment
• Enabled logistical crises and uncertainties to be
  resolved early
• Encouraged the development of a resource centre
  with greater depth and breadth than we would have
  initiated without the ease of linkage between the
  www, on-line journals and the VLE

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Questions remaining

• Does the VLE change the philosophy of student
  learning?
• Is the staff use and positive student evaluation
  of the VLE a current, passing, fashion?