field trips – making research real malcolm williams school of law and social science, university...
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Field Trips – Making Research Real
Malcolm WilliamsSchool of Law and Social Science,
University of [email protected]
Why Field Trips?
• Student perception of methods modules as ‘dry’ and ‘disconnected’……
• particularly data analysis……….
• Research for ‘real’
• Linking substantive issues to research
• Embedding research in experience
• Common in geography/ natural science
Research Based Learning
• Engaging students in research based learning can involve a number of different teaching strategies. Students can learn about discipline based research; they can learn how to do research; and can be active participants in the research process
Background
• BSc Social Research Minor. 40 credits hierarchically arranged builds upon previously acquired knowledge and skills. Along side generic social research content that is delivered to a wide range of social science subjects.
• Field trip was designed for students studying level two, second year, undergraduate social research modules. Students combined Social Research with substantive areas from Sociology, International Relations and Criminal Justice. Students.
• Aimed to link together more closely the content of the two existing modules: The Research Process and Analysing the Social Survey
Background
• The vision was to place students in a familiar and equally unfamiliar environment to challenge them to really reflect on research processes in a social setting and also to make quantitative method exciting.
• Funded as a pilot project from Teaching Quality in Education Fund (TQEF)
The Module Basis for Field Trips
• Research Process: students learn through a combination of lectures and problem based workshop tasks about all stages of research, both social and market research, from design to presentation’. Problem Based Learning approach that emulating the research process.
• Analysing the Social Survey students build upon basic descriptive analyses covered in year one, concentrating on bivariate, parametric and non-parametric analyses, and managing common data analysis problems. Secondary data sources are utilised for the data analysis.
• • •
The Field Trip
• Four Day trip to Belfast.
Belfast chosen because:• combined socio-
economic, political and cultural diversity with profound historical interest.
• NILT• Staff had local contacts
at Queens/ Ulster
Field Trip Focus
• The first was to give added extra experiential knowledge about Northern Ireland.
• The second was to enhance knowledge of existing academic research and research organisations.
• The third was to execute the street survey planned in the
University classroom.
Preparation
• Modules ’sold’ on basis of field trip.
• Autumn term briefings on Northern Ireland.
• Group work designing aspects of a ‘quality of life study’ and a ‘tourism study’
• Spring Term analysis module uses NILT and students begin design their questionnaire
Day One Travel to BelfastEvening:Briefing
Day Two NILT workshop at Queen’s University Belfast.Schedule: AM: Welcome. Introduction to ARKIntroduction to NILT: From concept to designUsing CAPI/CASI interactive workshopPM:Cleaning and checking survey dataDissemination: Research updates; reports; policy outcomes.
Day Three AM: Historical, Social and Political tour of BelfastAM/PM: Conduct Street SurveyEvening: Survey reflections over a Group meal
Day Four AM: Conduct Street SurveyPM: Travel to Plymouth
Day Five Back at the University : One week laterData input and preliminary analyses.
Field Trip Timetable
Issues to Consider
• Resource intensive/ funding.
• Small numbers/ SSR• When in the
curriculum?• Organisation• Risk assessment/
insurance• Student behaviour
Evaluation
• Pre field trip evaluation: self-completion survey. Check students were happy with the pre-trip arrangements and to also gauge opinions on perceptions of plans for
the field trip. • Post-field trip evaluation
consisted of a self-completion questionnaire and a focus group discussion.
Evaluation
• “You could sit in a taxi and see it (murals) and not really know. You could sit in a classroom and be taught it and not really see it, but getting them both together really made the difference.”
• Conducting the street survey was real. Some of the people I interviewed had really strong opinions. I think it helped that I wasn’t Irish although being English may have caused some bias”
Evaluation
• “Yeah, I would think about wording the question a bit differently”
• “People are quite wary when you have a clipboard (in your hand)”
• “It was a good lesson in how to handle rejection”
• “We have written about BLAISE in one of our research proposals [for coursework] and to see and use it made it ’real’ …. and I found the background detail on NILT really useful when I came back [to the university] to complete the module assignment
Reflects and Where next
• Field work trips present a ‘novel environment’ for learning. Do they ‘energise’ students longer term? How will it impact on project work?
• How does it relate to conducting their own individual research future research projects?
• Field trips will probably only work in an active learning environment, where doing is embedded in most teaching.
• Funds willing one day (stage one); two day (stage 2) and 3 day ((Stage 3) filed trips planned. In stage 1 and 2 compulsory and assessed. Stage 3 voluntary.