The Value of Field WorkGraham Scott, Ray Goulder & Phil Wheeler

This talk describes:

(1) How an integrated field/classroom approach has been developed for learning and teaching about plant and animal diversity. (2) A pilot study, devised to test by objective methods whether there are positive advantages in a field approach to learning about organism diversity

The integrated field/classroom day for pre-Certificate students

e.g. Learning about tree diversity at Dalby Forest

Morning. Groups of students walked in the forest accompanied by a tutor and sparingly collected foliage samples from diverse trees.

Afternoon. Students worked in forest classroom, identified trees using keys, with help from one another and from tutors

Students individually listed the trees they had identified and made labelled and annotated drawings of three of them. Notebooks were handed in at the end of the day for marking.

Number of tree species identified and drawn by 52 pre-Certificate students at Dalby Forest

Total n of tree species identified

Conifers 18

Broad-leaved trees & shrubs 27

Total n of tree species drawn, labelled and annotated

Conifers 12

Broad-leaved trees & shrubs 12

Positive student feedback on the integrated field/classroom day

I think it’s important to consider that the field studies in 58007 Biological Diversity always included some related laboratory/indoor work – identifying & drawing specimens collected – and so it is hard to cleanly tease away the field work from the lab work. In terms of enjoyment, this is definitely preferable – to be able to view the organisms in their environment first hand and then apply that to what we see in the lab.

Reference

Goulder R & Scott GW (2009) Field study of plant diversity: extending the whole-class knowledge base through open-ended learning. Bioscience Education 14 , 2-10

Pilot Study for the objective evaluation of the value of field work for learning about biological diversity

Aim. To compare learning about organism diversity by the integrated fieldwork/classroom approach with learning solely through classroom/laboratory work

The learning exercise to be the sorting, identification, interpretation, drawing and labelling of invertebrate animals collected from natural environments

1.Freshwater invertebrates from a stream at Dalby Forest were collected in the field by the students and sorted, identified and drawn in the forest classroom.

2.Marine invertebrates from a sandy shore were collected by staff and preserved. Sorting, identification and drawing was done by students in a laboratory on campus.

Evaluation of long-term retention

Ability to describe the sampling procedureComparison between description of kick sampling in streams with sand sieving on a sandy shore

P<0.05 (Wilcoxon matched pairs test) n=8 students

Ability to recognize and interpret invertebratesComparison between annotations of photographs of freshwater invertebrates from a stream with marine invertebrates from a sandy shore

P>0.05 (Wilcoxon matched pairs test) n=8 students

Student perceptions of the exercises

The eight students were asked in a post-exercise questionnaire:

To relate their best memory of the exercises. All eight chose to describe an experience at Dalby Forest

To relate their worst memory of the exercises. Seven chose to refer to the laboratory exercise (one had no worst memory)

Which of the exercises they found most difficult. 7 out of 8 referred to the laboratory exercise

Which exercise they preferred. 7 out of 8 preferred the Dalby Forest exercise.