Bringing fieldwork to campus

 

Challenge:

Our degree also involves large amounts of field work usually carried out at residential field stations which was not possible to do last year.

Solution:

We brought some of the fieldwork (and subsequent labwork) onto campus instead, holding activities outdoors on the estate.

Overview of case study

College: MVLS

Class size: Medium (26-100)

Level: 3 

School: School of Life Sciences

Course title: Zoology, Marine & Freshwater Biology and Animal Biology 

Teaching setting: Practical work / online 

Suitable for online/distance learning: Yes

Technological competency: Basic (General computer literacy)

Administrative support: No additional resources

Contact: Dr Ashley Le Vin (staff profile)

What was done?

In some instances, we were able to carry out the fieldwork on campus. We taught collection methods for terrestrial invertebrates, and students then sorted and identified the animals in the field.

In other instances, we had samples brought to campus from our remote locations. For example, we brought trawled animals caught on a boat from one of our local field stations and also water samples of marine plankton. Animal identification techniques were taught outside, and plankton sampling was conducted in small groups in the lab.

Benefits

For Students

  • Students learned valuable practical field work skills.
  • In the future, students with caring responsibilities who may not be able to attend certain parts of residential field courses could still gain skills more locally on campus.

Challenges

For Staff

  • Carefully considered risk assessments have to be carried out and some sites on campus may not be suitable.

Evaluation and student feedback

  • Students were able to socialise more easily outside whilst still distancing from each other. They worked well together in small groups to collect invertebrates and identify them.
  • Students were focussed on the tasks and interested in how they could be used in the real world.
  • Students hugely enjoyed learning practical skills that could increase their employability in the future.