The Value of Fieldwork in Life and Environmental Sciences in the Context of Higher Education: A Case Study in Learning About Biodiversity

Abstract

Fieldwork is assumed by most practitioners to be an important if not essential component of a degree level education in the environmental sciences. However, there is strong evidence that as a result of a wide range of pressures (academic, financial and societal) fieldwork is in decline in the UK and elsewhere. In this paper we discuss the value of fieldwork in a higher education context and present the results of a case study which illustrates its value to student learning and the wider student experience. We used qualitative and quantitative methods to compare the impact of two learning tasks upon the affective and cognitive domains of students. We designed two tasks. One task that included fieldwork, and required students to collect organisms from the field and make labelled drawings of them, and one task that omitted the fieldwork and simply required drawing of specimens that the students had not collected. We evaluated the students’ experience through structured and semi-structured questionnaires and written exercises. Students did not perceive the two tasks as being equivalent to one another. They reported that they enjoy fieldwork and value it (in the contexts of their learning at university, life-long learning, and in relation to their career aspirations) and felt that they learn more effectively in the field. Our students were better able to construct a taxonomic list of organisms that they had collected themselves, better able to recall the structural detail of these organisms and were better able to recall the detail of an ecological sampling methodology that they had personally carried out in the field rather than one that a tutor had described to them in a classroom setting. Our case study supports the growing body of evidence that fieldwork is an important way of enhancing undergraduate learning and highlights some key areas for future research.

Appendix: The Learning Exercise as Presented to the Students

Learning About Invertebrates Through Sorting and Interpreting Collections

Learning Objectives

Students who have completed the exercise will be able to:

• 1. Sort a collection of invertebrates from a specific habitat into taxonomic groups on the basis of characteristic morphological features, aided by relevant literature including keys and illustrated guides.

• 2. Identify and classify the principal animals in the collection to the level of phylum, class, order and where possible family and genus.

• 3. Demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the collection by:

  • a. Making a list of the animals present which will include their phylum, class, order and where possible family and genus, with brief notes on the principal morphological features that allow the classification of each of the animals present.

  • b. Making line drawings of three animals with comprehensive descriptive labelling and annotations, the annotations to include comment on morphological adaptations to the animals’ specific habitat.

The Learning Exercise

Please work in pairs. The following tasks should be completed.

• 1. Each pair will begin with a mixed collection of invertebrates that have been collected from one habitat. The pair should sort the collection into the different types of animals present. Individual animals can be transferred using a wet brush from the main collection to Petri dishes, using separate Petri dishes for each taxon.

• 2. Next the animals can be identified and classified to the level of phylum, class, order and where possible family and genus. Appropriate guides and keys will be provided to help with this task; students may consult one another and the staff.

• 3. Each student should individually prepare a list of the animals in the collection. This should reflect the classification of the animals and for each animal should include: (a) its phylum, class, order and where possible family and genus, (b) brief notes to describe the characteristic morphological features that helped you with identification and classification.

• 4. Each student should make an accurate and precise pencil drawing of each of three of the animals. Use a separate sheet for each drawing. The drawings should be fully labelled to draw attention to features of interest and importance. The drawings should also be annotated with additional biological information about the specimen. The annotations should include information on how you think the animal is morphologically adapted to life in its specific habitat.