International Network for Learning and Teaching Geography in Higher Education (INLT) Glasgow Workshop - 2004
(in association with LTSN-GEES and JGHE)
The University of Strathclyde Graduate School of Business Conference Centre
Glasgow, 21-23 August 2004
Contents
- About this event
- Outline Discussion Papers and Discussion Areas
- Group Project Plans
- Workshop Programme
- Delegate List and Group Details
About this event
This workshop is being organised in association with the Journal of Geography in Higher Education (JGHE), the Learning and Teaching Support Network Subject Centre for Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (LTSN-GEES) and the Higher Education Research Group of the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers.
It is a workshop with a difference in that it will involve discussions, writing and project planning stimulated by short outline papers (c2500 words) written in groups before the workshop. The pre-workshop papers can be found below and are for general discussion to begin towards the end of June.
to view or download a particular discussion paper in RTF,
follow the "read paper" links below
to post or read comments on a particular discussion paper
follow the "post or read comments" links below
- Fieldwork
- Problem based learning
- ICT, distance learning and the curriculum
- Enhancing employment, key skills and the curriculum
- Teaching for social transformation including diversity issues (e.g. race, disability)
- Linking teaching and research
If you would like any of the papers in a different format please contact Mike Sanders
The revised papers will be submitted to JGHE.
Group Project Plans
Problem-based learning
This project follows on from the group's paper produced for the INLT Glasgow workshop, 'Problem-based learning in geography: towards a critical assessment of its purposes, benefits and costs'.
The purpose of the project is to evaluate the benefits of PBL for geography through construction of an indicative inventory of how it is being adopted in the discipline in different parts of the world. The project will use a simple evaluation tool, directed to both students and instructors, and using the same set of questions for each group. The institutional context within which each application is occurring will be noted. A key element of the project will be to assess the often untested assumptions about PBL benefits that occur in the literature.
Ethics approval will be sought by Julie Trafford by Christmas 2004. A pilot study will be run by Eric Fournier and Sue Vajoczki in January and February 2005. Survey design will be finalised by the end of March 2005. Thereafter each group member will seek three PBL courses, curricula, or components to evaluate, with a deadline of December 2005.
Group members hope to reconvene at the National Council for Geographic Education, Birmingham, Alabama, in October 2005 in order to discuss results to date and consider how best to report these. The project will be finalised for reporting at the regional meeting of the IGU in Brisbane, Australia, in July 2006.
The outputs from the project will be:
- an indicative inventory of how PBL is being used in geography
- an assessment of the PBL experiences of students, instructors and administrators
- an evaluation of the contexts within which adoption of PBL is successful.
Group members: Eric Pawson (Canterbury, co-ordinator); Eric Fournier (Samford);
Martin Haigh (Oxford Brookes); Osvaldo Muniz (La Serena); Sue Vajoczki (McMaster);
Julie Trafford (Auckland).
Future aims for the Teaching for social transformations group
The aims of the teaching for social transformation group over the coming year, or so, is to compile a portfolio of good teaching practice from fellow geography academics. This will be achieved through each group member interviewing a minimum of 3 colleagues through their networks, either face-to-face, over the telephone or a web interview. These different techniques are to enable more people to be interviewed from a greater number of international contacts. These interviews will form the basis of future work directions and an article for publication in JGHE.
Project outline: Geography Fieldwork: Student Voice Forum
Aim:
To explore international perspectives of student experience of fieldwork (towards evidence for effectiveness of fieldwork)
Methods:
1. Mechanisms for collecting student opinion
(NB it is recognised that different mechanisms will be appropriate in different institutions and for different student groups)
- Reflective diaries
- Focus group
- Web exchange
- VLE discussions
Group members intend to elicit responses by intergrating some evaluation of fieldwork into student assessment
Each group member will identify one or two opportunities for eliciting comments during the first year of the project. In addition each group member will aim to find two collaborators (hopefully drawing in wider international partners) from other institutions to gather similar data. The group members will wish to pilot the questions/method first before widening out to these potential partners.
2. Distilling comments and perceptions
It is recognised that it would not be appropriate or practical for student comments to be posted directly onto the web> some degree of tutor editing will be required to control both quality and amount of the comments that are posted.
Details of host for web site – possibilities of either Singapore or Liverpool Hope – another possibility might be GEES.
3. Interaction and feedback (student to student)
Once initials comments are posted, we aim to stimulate student reaction to the comments in order to gain deeper understanding and also to promote international discussion.
Issues / threads for student discussion and comment
These should be based around the paper themes i.e. student engagement, student learning, employability, skill development, recruitment / enjoyment / expectation.
However, different terminology must be used in asking the questions to students – this needs some careful thought and development. We do need a standard set of prompts / questions even thought they will be used in fairly diverse situations and ways.
We hope to have responses from students about different types of fieldwork – the dimensions identified include:
- International to local
- Problem based learning to Cook’s Tour
- Day trip to residential to expedition
- Collective / group to individual field research
- Environment of fieldwork – extremes of climate
- The nature of the assessment tool
We also would be interested in both pre- and post-fieldwork perceptions.
Timescale
Aim to have output by 2006
Practical issues identified
David Higgitt to act as project coordinator.
Some issues with language with students from Finland and other potential partners
Group members to keep eyes open for possible funding opportunities or sources of support (e.g. research assistant, help with web page development) and circulate to group as appropriate.
Sally Edmonson to explore possible support from Herodot project.
The ICT group proposed to:
- Draft articulation agreements between two or more institutions for managing an internationalized course or curriculum via distance education
- Develop an outline of an "internationalized" course in teacher education, GIS, and/or cartography
- Conduct market research to assess costs, need, etc for an internationalized course program.
With regard to the second and third proposals, we plan to incorporate
findings from the AAG faculty survey that measures perceptions of the value
of internationalization and the extent geographers support global learning
outcomes in the undergraduate curriculum.
Final Workshop Programme
Saturday 21 August: Review
09.00-09.30 Registration and Coffee
09.30-10.00 Welcome, introductions and plan for the day - room 505
10.00-11.15 Groups review web summaries and responses; plan JGHE articles
- Problem based learning & Teaching for social transformation in Room 505
- ICT & Employability in Room 523
- Fieldwork and Linking research and teaching Room 525
11.15-11.45 Coffee
11.45-12.45 Groups present article plans (10 min) and receive feedback (10 min) (three groups together in two rooms)
- Fieldwork, Employability, & ICT in Room 523
- PBL, Social transformation, & Linking research and teaching in Room 505
12.45-13.45 Lunch
13:45-14.25 Discussion of common themes from article plans (Room 505)
14.25-15.00 Groups review feedback, delegate responsibilities and start revisions
- Problem based learning & Teaching for social transformation in Room 505
- ICT & Employability in Room 523
- Fieldwork & Linking research and teaching Room 525
15.00-15.30 Walk to Glasgow School of Art
15:30-16:15 Guided tour of the Glasgow School
of Art (Rennie Mackintosh building) by student ambassador
16:30-17:30 Afternoon tea at the Willow
Tea Rooms, in the private Rennie Mackintosh Room
17.30-19.30 Free time
19.30 Evening Dinner at Strathclyde Business School; bar open from 18.00
(NB: Social programme sponsored by JGHE)
Sunday 22 August: Planning
08.00-09.00 Breakfast
09.00-09.15 Introduction to the day Room 505
09.15-11.15 Group project planning (aims, methods, timetable)
- Problem based learning & Teaching for social transformation in Room 505
- ICT & Employability in Room 523
- Fieldwork & Linking research and teaching Room 525
11.15-11.45 Coffee
11.45-12.45 Groups present project plans (10 mins) and receive feedback (10
mins) (three groups together in two rooms)
- Fieldwork, Social transformation, & ICT in Room 505
- PBL, Employability, & Linking research and teaching in Room 523
12.25-13.45 Lunch
13.45-14.25 Discussion of common themes from project plans Room 505
14.25-15.00 Groups review feedback and delegate responsibilities for taking plans forward
- Problem based learning & Teaching for social transformation in Room 505
- ICT & Employability in Room 523
- Fieldwork & Linking research and teaching in Room 525
15.00-15.30 Tea
15.30-16.15 Where next for the INLT? Room 505
16.15-17.00 Evaluation of workshop and process of collaborative writing and
project planning Room 505
19.00-22.00 Drinks reception and formal conference dinner (Melville Room,
Gilbert Scott Building, University of Glasgow)*
(NB: Dinner sponsored by LTSN-GEES, * transport provided)
Monday 23 August
07:30-09.00 Breakfast and depart
Delegate List and Group Details
| Name | Surname | Institution | Distance | Discussion Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve | Gaskin | LTSN-GEES, UK | Yes | N/A |
| Mick | Healey | University of Gloucestershire, UK | No | N/A |
| Ruth | Healey | University of Sheffield, UK | No | N/A |
| Mike | Sanders | LTSN-GEES, UK | Yes | N/A |
| Barbara | Gambini | Universita di Urbino, Italy | No | employability |
| Sharon | Gedye | LTSN-GEES, UK | distance | employability |
| Artimus | Keiffer | Wittenburg University, USA | No | employability |
| Pauline | Kneale | University of Leeds, UK | No | employability |
| Paul | Rooney | Liverpool Hope University College, UK | No | employability |
| Barbara | VanDrasek | University of Minnesota, USA | No | employability |
| Sally | Edmondson | Liverpool Hope University College, UK | No | fieldwork |
| Derek | France | Chester College of HE, UK | No | fieldwork |
| Ian | Fuller | Massey University, New Zealand | distance | fieldwork |
| Ilkka | Ratinen | University of Jyvaskyla, Finland | No | fieldwork |
| Hilary | Thomas | University of Newport, UK | distance | fieldwork |
| David | Higgitt | University of Singapore, Singapore | No | fieldwork |
| Lex | Chalmers | Waikato University, New Zealand | No | ICT |
| David | DiBiase | The Pennsylvania State University, USA | No | ICT |
| Karl | Donert | Liverpool Hope University College, UK | No | ICT |
| Susan | Hardwick | University of Oregon, USA | distance | ICT |
| Mariyana | Kostadinova Nikolova | Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bulgaria | No | ICT |
| John | Lidstone | Queensland University of Technology, Australia | distance | ICT |
| Michael | Solem | Association of American Geographers, USA | No | ICT |
| Richard | Baker | Australian National University, Australia | No | linking teaching & research |
| John | Bradbeer | University of Portsmouth, UK | distance | linking teaching & research |
| Alan | Jenkins | Oxford Brookes University, UK | distance | linking teaching & research |
| Richard | Le Heron | University of Auckland, New Zealand | No | linking teaching & research |
| Lindsey | McEwen | University of Gloucestershire, UK | distance | linking teaching & research |
| John | McKendrick | Glasgow Caledonian University, UK | No | linking teaching & research |
| Gabor | Mezosi | University of Szeged, Hungary | No | linking teaching & research |
| Eric | Fournier | Samford University, USA | No | PBL |
| Martin | Haigh | Oxford Brookes University, UK | No | PBL |
| Osvaldo | Muniz | Universidad de La Serena, Chile | No | PBL |
| Eric | Pawson | University of Canterbury, UK | No | PBL |
| Julie | Trafford | University of Auckland, New Zealand | No | PBL |
| Sue | Vajoczki | McMaster University Canada | No | PBL |
| Andrea | Berardi | The Open University, UK | No | social transformation |
| Brian | Chalkley | LTSN-GEES, UK | No | social transformation |
| Bill | Chambers | Liverpool Hope University College, UK | No | social transformation |
| Hans | De Jong | Hogeschool van Arnhem en Nijmegen, The Netherlands | No | social transformation |
| Janice | Monk | University of Arizona, USA | No | social transformation |
| Jodi | Vender | The Pennsylvania State University, USA | distance | social transformation |
| Jane | Wellens | University of Leicester, UK | No | social transformation |