Fieldwork Assessment:Fieldwork Assessment: Maximising the student Maximising the student experience.experience.Virtual fieldwork as a Virtual fieldwork as a formative assessment toolformative assessment tool

LJMU: School of Biological and Earth LJMU: School of Biological and Earth SciencesSciences

Current situationCurrent situation

Field work: Geoscience Field work: Geoscience programmesprogrammes

Fundamental to the learning Fundamental to the learning experienceexperience

Geological Society Geological Society accreditationaccreditation

Key assessment taskKey assessment task 'Right-first-time' approach'Right-first-time' approach

External factors influencing External factors influencing

developmentdevelopment Foot and mouth outbreak:Foot and mouth outbreak:

field work cancelled or field work cancelled or postponed February - October postponed February - October 2002.2002.

Conservation:Conservation: many fossil many fossil localities are SSSIs or National localities are SSSIs or National Nature reserves.Nature reserves.

External factors influencing External factors influencing developmentdevelopment

Special Education Needs and Special Education Needs and Disability Act:Disability Act: requires that requires that 'reasonable steps' are taken 'reasonable steps' are taken to ensure that students are to ensure that students are not at a substantial not at a substantial disadvantage.disadvantage.

Resourcing: Resourcing: expensive, unit of expensive, unit of resource decliningresource declining

Virtual fieldwork: project aimsVirtual fieldwork: project aims

1.1. Produce virtual versions of Produce virtual versions of key field sites.key field sites.

2.2. Simulate field-based Simulate field-based assessment tasks assessment tasks field field skills practice.skills practice.

3.3. Extend field experience Extend field experience beyond the on-site time.beyond the on-site time.

Virtual fieldwork: outcomesVirtual fieldwork: outcomes

1.1. Virtual field experience with Virtual field experience with 24 hr on-line access.24 hr on-line access.

2.2. Increase support for field-Increase support for field-based assessment.based assessment.

3.3. Improve student performance Improve student performance in field assessment tasks. in field assessment tasks.

Virtual fieldwork: Wren’s Nest Virtual fieldwork: Wren’s Nest DudleyDudley

Level 3 Module-PalaeoLevel 3 Module-Palaeo3: 3: Field Field report 15%report 15%

Field time: 4 hrs max.Field time: 4 hrs max. Follow-up lab session. Data Follow-up lab session. Data

pooled.pooled.

Virtual fieldwork: procedures/ Virtual fieldwork: procedures/ softwaresoftware

Five digital panoramas (one Five digital panoramas (one per site) have been taken at per site) have been taken at Wren's NestWren's Nest

Processed using VR-worx.Processed using VR-worx.

Virtual fieldwork: procedures/ Virtual fieldwork: procedures/ softwaresoftware

Hotspots are added to illustrate:Hotspots are added to illustrate:

FossilsFossils

Sedimentary Sedimentary structuresstructures

The virtual tripThe virtual trip

Students will be given web links Students will be given web links at the start of the module.at the start of the module.

Provides the opportunity to Provides the opportunity to rehearse actual assessment rehearse actual assessment tasks before the field visit.tasks before the field visit.

Allows more effective use of Allows more effective use of on-site time.on-site time.

Sedimentary loggingSedimentary logging

Faunal analysisFaunal analysis

ConclusionsConclusions

1.1. This approach is equally This approach is equally applicable to any remote off-applicable to any remote off-site visit with 'right-first-time' site visit with 'right-first-time' assessment.assessment.

2.2. Familiarity with the Familiarity with the assessment task reduces assessment task reduces anxiety andanxiety and improves improves performance.performance.

Future WorkFuture Work

1.1. Two new sites: North Wales Two new sites: North Wales [GEES funded] and Wirral.[GEES funded] and Wirral.

2.2. Evaluation of Wren’sEvaluation of Wren’s Nest virtual trip. Nest virtual trip.