Jennifer Dickie

Podcasts in Support of Experiential Field Learning

The paper introduces a library of video podcasts (vodcasts) used to support the learning and teaching of geographical methods and techniques relating to physical geography and GIScience in particular. While the notion of video learning is not new, the accessibility of the multimedia snippets via lightweight mp4 players in a field context allows a geographical freedom to learning that goes beyond previous classroom-based work. Evaluation, conducted through the use of reflective diaries and focus groups, identified that all students thought the podcast reference library was a valuable learning resource, of particular appeal to students with a visual approach to learning.

Acknowledging the 'forgotten' and the 'unknown': The role of video podcasts for supporting fi eld-based learning

Abstract A library of video podcasts has been constructed for geographers and those of cognate disciplines, providing detailed information and operational demonstrations for a range of field apparatus relating to matters such as soil properties, water quality and field surveying. Evaluation, conducted through the use of reflective diaries and focus groups, identified that all students consulted thought the podcast reference library was a positive pedagogic development They also thought the process was capable of building confidence in many and of particular appeal to students with a more visual approach to learning.

Going mobile: perspectives on aligning learning and teaching in geography

There has been little consideration to date regarding how we might best adjust our assessment protocols so that the overall learning experience remains appropriately aligned to both content and teaching approach when adopting location-specific mobile learning. This paper explores the success of a novel strategy to design an assessment regime that captures a field experience in Dublin as a whole for both staff and students alike. Evaluation identified that the use of a combined mediascape-essay approach as a major component of the assessment successfully captured the main elements of the learning and teaching experience and facilitated deeper learning and creativity.

Mobile Learning in a Human Geography Field Course.

This article reports on reusable mobile digital learning resources designed to assist human geography undergraduate students in exploring the geographies of life in Dublin. Developing active learning that goes beyond data collection to encourage observation and thinking in the field is important. Achieving this in the context of large class sizes presents several challenges. Combining in situ learning with spatially accurate historical and contemporary multimedia, a set of location-aware digital mobile tools, or mediascapes, was developed. How scaffolding can be achieved in such a context, focusing on the development of students’ observational, enquiry, and thinking skills in the field was explored.