A Simple Group Work Approach for Effective Field Work: a Soil Sciences Case Study

Journal of Geoscience Education, Jan 2006 by Mooney, Sacha J

Brown (1999) outlined several academic benefits including project formulation skills to such an approach when considering global positioning systems with geography undergraduates. Williams and Griffiths (1999) suggest that field working in groups serves as a useful learning platform from which students may develop their final year dissertations. Maguire and Edmondson (2001) found that while student perception of group working as part of field work was largely positive, adequate group management training is required to avoid problems with time management. Keene (1998) described a distance learning approach to field work which was successful in promoting autonomous learning that could be considered as part of a field work package, as opposed to a replacement. However, an over-reliance on group working can be detrimental. Haigh and Gold (1993) warned that group work is not suited to all learners and can create boredom, especially among diligent students, and be subject to abuse by those less willing to participate.

This paper describes an action research project to illustrate the use of group work as a tool for effective field work using a descriptive evaluation following the adoption ofa reflective model outlined in Kemmis and McTaggart (1998). Further, a deliberate attempt was made to develop a student exercise that fulfilled the two main characteristics of a research project as cited by Gold et al. (1991), namely the investigation of a new problem in terms of student experience and to foster independent small group interaction that require minimal supervision.

THE FIELD WORK EXERCISE

First year students undertaking BSc (Hons) Environmental Science and Environmental Biology at the University of Nottingham were asked to assess an exercise that used the development of group work to produce effective field work. The study was carried out during a one-week residential field course at the Slapton Ley Field Centre in Devon during June 2003 (Figure 1). The field course takes place after the end of the first year and is assessed as part of the second year of the degree program. Until this point, the main teaching methods experienced by the students are lectures, laboratory practicals and small group tutorials. There had been no previous compulsory field work, although some students may have experienced field work associated with specialist modules lasting no longer than one day or as part of their pre-university education. The field course itself comprised five days, each consisting of a different, daily exercise (Table 1). Each activity was not explicitly linked, except by a general ecological theme with no formal preparation sessions other than those that took place during the week. On the final day, the students were assessed by a group poster presentation following a method proposed by Jenkins and Pepper (1998).

Group work was used on each day of the field course, however on the second day (investigation of a soil catena) the exercise was formalized. The introductory handout identified the aims of the exercise, which were to develop group working skills, acquire research skills in soil examination and to consider the key issues of soil formation in the Slapton Catchment. The Slapton wood area is a good example of a soil hydrological sequence (catena) and has routinely been used by instructors to introduce students to the key concepts of soil and water sciences for some years (Trudgill, 1983; Burt et al., 1983; Chappell and Franks, 1996). The soils of Slapton area are generally well developed on a lower Devonian slate parent material. They are typically acidic and nutrient poor, with a strong red-brown colour. Commonly, the soils have 30-40% silt and 30-40% clay and as such are highly prone to compaction. The main soil types observed are brown earths (FAO classification: Cambisol), heavily gleyed soils (FAO classification: Gleysol) and podzols (FAO classification: Podzol). The exercise was designed so that the students were involved in each of Kolb's (1984) four stages of experiential learning: thinking, planning, doing and reflecting.