Fieldwork Education and Technology FEeT Project Group

1
Fieldwork Education and Technology (FEeT) Project
Group

• Questionnaire
• Preliminary results-
• Derek FranceDepartment of Geography

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A survey of the usage of CIT in Fieldwork

• Postal Survey - Sent to all Geography, Earth and
  Environmental Sciences departments in March 2002
• Response rate- 203 surveys 43 returns 20
• Purpose - Aims to understand the relationship
  between C IT and Fieldwork
• How is CIT used?
• Snap Shoot of a typical module with substantial
  fieldwork

• 57 of the returned modules were fieldwork only
  modules
• Weighting - of C IT at different stages of the
  field course module, where 0 no usage and
  5 high usage
• Pre During Post Average
  1.9 1.4 2.6

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Characteristics of the sample
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Usage of Hardware Devices in relation to Fieldwork
5
Usage of Software Applications in relation to
Fieldwork
6
Benefits - for student learning using CIT with
Fieldwork - some common responses

• Lots of background information can be provided
• Students aware of the transferable skills
• Heightened awareness
• Confidence to students
• Students become familiar with handling large data
  sets

7
Drawbacks - for student learning using CIT with
Fieldwork - some common responses

• Use of technology may distract students from
  central purpose
• Hardware / software problems produce significant
  disillusionment
• Substitution of IT over thinking
• Problems in transporting field equipment to field
  areas
• Cost