Geoscientists’ perceptions of the value of undergraduate field education
Geoscientists’ perceptions of the value of undergraduate field education
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地球科学家对本科实地教育价值的看法
DOI：
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发表时间：
2013
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Joshua L. Caulkins
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
H. Petcovic;A. Stokes;Joshua L. Caulkins
长期以来，“实地”学习在地球科学家的教育中占据着突出的地位。尽管与实地工作相关的费用、时间和责任风险，但实地经验被广泛认为是学习和专业准备不可或缺的一部分。然而，迄今为止，很少有研究解决了哪些类型的实地经验是有价值的，以及期望的结果是什么。我们报告了2010年和2011年美国地质学会年会上收集的调查数据，这些数据描述了为什么本科实地教育在地球科学领域受到重视。89.5%的受访者（n = 172）表示，野外工作应该是本科教育中不可或缺的一部分，只有36.5%的人认为基岩测绘课程是必要的。实地考察的价值主要体现在认知方面的收获，比如知识和理解，以及使学习者能够与自然状态下的地质现象互动。我们发现在自我认同的群体之间几乎没有统计学上的显著差异，这表明学生、教师和专业地质学家对实地教育的价值持有很大程度上相似的观点。本研究有助于确定本科教育实地工作经验的长期目标和结果，并指出将实地工作经验与教育目标、劳动力需求和实际学习成果相结合所需的行动。
Learning in “the field” has long held a prominent role in the education of geoscientists. Despite the expense, time, and liability risks associated with fieldwork, field experiences are widely perceived as integral to both learning and professional preparation. Yet, to date, little research has addressed questions of what types of field experiences are valuable and what outcomes are desired. We report findings from survey data collected at the 2010 and 2011 Geological Society of America Annual Meetings that characterize why undergraduate field education is valued within the geoscience community. While 89.5% of respondents (n = 172) indicated that fieldwork should be an integral and required part of undergraduate education, only 36.5% agreed that a course in bedrock mapping was necessary. Fieldwork is valued mainly for perceived cognitive gains, such as knowledge and understanding, and for enabling learners to interact with geological phenomena in their natural state. We found few statistically significant differences between self-identified groups, suggesting that students, instructors, and professional geologists hold largely similar opinions about the value of field education. This study helps to identify long-term goals and outcomes of undergraduate educational fieldwork experiences and points to actions needed to align fieldwork experiences with educational goals, workforce needs, and actual learning outcomes.