Abstract 124

Resource Database: Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Title	Student-authored Fieldtrails
Originator	David Higgitt
Department	Department of Geography, University of Durham, Science Laboratories, South Road Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
Tel.	+44 (0)191 374 2487
Fax	+44 (0)191 374 2456
Email	d.l.higgitt@durham.ac.uk

This fieldwork formed part of a second level course in geomorphology (although it could be extended to other parts of the geography curriculum including human geography). While the course aims to introduce and reinforce themes for understanding and interpreting landforms in general, its execution and associated coursework are concentrated in a specific locality. The fieldwork involves students working in teams in an area close to the university to produce geomorphological trails and information boards targeted at a designated audience (upper school or first year undergraduate geographers). The fieldwork sessions last 3-4 hours over a five week period with two further weeks to hand work in.

A timetable of class and assessment activities


Week	Class activity	Assessment activity

1	Background to local geomorphology Introduction to trail design Definition of groups and tasks Teamwork activity Define peer assessment criteria Establish possible routes Arrange meetings outside class
2	Field 'lecture' Initial work on trail design
3	Trail design
4	Group A guides others along part of trail	Teacher assessment of input of individual Group A students Group B provides written feedback (assessed by teacher)
5	Group B guides other along part of trail	Teacher assessment of input of individual Group B students Group A provides written feedback (assessed by teacher)
6
7		Submission of group work Submission of individual summaries Submission of peer assessment scores

Summary information

Level: second level but could be adapted for other levels.
Location: example is from rural location in NW England.
Class size: not important, students work in groups of 4.
Timetable: in this example, five 2-hour sessions related to course work, but could operate on a residential fieldcourse.
Total hours: 10 contact hours.

Reference:

Higgitt, D. (1996) The effectiveness of student-authored field trails as a means of enhancing geomorphological interpretation, Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 20(1), pp.35-44

Keywords:

Group work
Peer assessment
Self assessment
Trail

This is one of the case studies which appears in the GDN Guide "Fieldwork and Dissertations in Geography"

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