Hands-on learning – providing meaningful educational experiences in the field
Dr Rebecca Hull, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne
Field trips represent the pinnacle of learning for budding field scientists. Students keenly await learning experiences outdoors, where they can apply knowledge and skills acquired from lectures and laboratory-based learning. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many educators to rapidly redesign the hands-on or field components of their courses. What can we learn from field experiences during COVID-19, and what role should field trips play moving forward?
Learning in the field
During field experiences, outdoor skills can be explicitly taught and modelled [1]. Students learn and practice science skills, such as collecting data using field equipment and tools, species identification, making and recording observations, and communicating findings [1].
Students learn from one another in the field, fostering collaborations and supporting the development of intra- and inter-personal skills [1][2]. When working together, students learn individually but also promote the learning of their peers [3]. Such collaborative learning encourages students to practice thinking and talking about biology, and to ask for help when they identify concepts that they need to better understand [4]. When learning in the field, students can apply theory directly in nature [5] and experience the natural environment [2].
The benefits of field trips
Students engage when learning opportunities are real-world and relevant [6], and learn best from hands-on, inquiry-based learning [7]. Field experiences represent ultimate experiential learning for budding field scientists [5], and can promote the development of future generations of scientists [2].
Field experiences support the development of skills, and students more competently complete science-related tasks during field-based, rather than lecture-based, courses [8]. For example, students that take field-based courses more competently identify species, design and conduct experiments, and deliver oral presentations [8]. Students that take field courses have additional gains; they are more likely to graduate and have higher grades [8].
COVID-19 and the emergence of “backyard biology”
In response to COVID-19, educators designed and implemented experiments and field experiences to flexibly accommodate students learning in-person, remotely or both [e.g., 9]. Some educators have shared how they facilitated such hands-on learning during COVID-19, including the challenges they encountered, and advice for implementing remote field experiences [e.g., 5,9].
From these experiences, we know that we can transition traditional field biology courses to online field courses [5], allowing students to directly experience the natural environment and conduct authentic research projects [5][9]. While online “backyard biology” may not foster the same interpersonal development as in-person field experiences, a sense of community can be fostered via interactions online [5], facilitating connections between students studying remotely and/or on-campus [9].
The future of field experiences
Field experiences continue to play an important role in students’ education. While remote field experiences cannot replace in-person field experience, they provide students an important opportunity to develop their hands-on skills, make observations or conduct experiments in nature, and connect with their peers, when many students are isolated and unmotivated when learning online [10].
In my experience, students eagerly participate during in-person field trips and engage with their peers and teaching staff, signaling that field trips still represent valuable learning experiences. Moving forward, we should draw on our collective experience from field learning during COVID-19 to make field experiences accessible to all students.
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Resources
[1] Zavaleta, ES, Beltran, RS, Borker, AL (2020). How field courses propel inclusion and collective excellence. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 35(11), 953-956.
[2] Fleischner, TL, Espinoza, RE, Gerrish, GA, Greene, HW, Kimmerer, RW, Lacey, EA, Pace, S, Parrish, JK, Swain, HM, Trombulak, SC, Weisberg, S, Winkler, DW, Zander, L (2017). Teaching biology in the field: importance, challenges, and solutions. BIOSCIENCE, 67(7), 558-567.
[3] Herrmann, KJ (2013). The impact of cooperative learning on student engagement: Results from an intervention. Active Learning in Higher Education, 14(3), 175-187.
[4] Tanner, KD (2013). Structure matters: Twenty-one teaching strategies to promote student engagement and cultivate classroom equity. CBE–Life Sciences Education, 12(3), 322-311.
[5] McKinnon, L (2020). YIMBY-Yes, In My BackYard!-The successful transition to a local online. Ecology and Evolution, 10(22), 12542-12548.
[6] Meyers, NM, Nulty, D (2008). How to use (five) curriculum design principles to align authentic learning environments, assessment, students’ approaches to thinking and learning outcomes. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 34(5), 565-577.
[7] Theobald, EJ, Hill, MJ, Tran, E, Agrawal, S, Arroyo, EN, Behling, S, Chambwe, N, Cintron, DL, Cooper, JD, Dunster, G, Grummer, JA, Hennessey, K, Hsiao, J, Iranon, N, Jones, L, Jordt, H, Keller, M, Lacey, ME, Littlefield, CE, … Freeman, S (2001). Active learning narrows achievement gaps for underrepresented students in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(12), 6476-6483.
[8] Beltran, RS, Marnocha, E, Race, A, Croll, DA, Dayton, GH, Zavaleta, ES 2020. Field courses narrow demographic achievement gaps in ecology and evolutionary biology. Ecology and Evolution, 10(12): 5184-5196.
[9] Berke, SK, Clark, RM (2021). Student-led field studies of herbivory: Hands-on experiences for remote (or in-person) learning. Invertebrate Biology, 140(1), e12320. [10] Ewell, SN, Cotner, S, Drake, AG, Fagbodun, S, Google, A, Robinson, L, Soneral, P, Ballen, CJ (2022). Eight recommendations to promote effective study habits for biology students enrolled in online courses. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, 23(1), 1-10.