KE4003 - Geography Fieldwork

You will learn through lectures, practical workshops and fieldwork activities. Lectures provide the background for the sites visited together with a broader context for the study. Workshops will allow you to develop familiarity with technology if necessary before fieldwork begins. The fieldwork activities allow you to practice a number of geographical field techniques in human and/or physical geography, you will create your own sampling plans to produce primary data, and you will reflect on the effectiveness of the data collection process through written assessment. You will develop skills of observation and measurement and will work in small groups with tutors to develop an enquiry based approach to your learning. You will be able to learn independently from the resources which will be made available on the module eLP site. Group projects will require you to consider and apply both morale and ethical choices during interviews with the public. Individual projects will require you to understand health and safety considerations when conducting landscape assessments in remote areas.
On completion of the module, your improved ability to link theory, practice and application will serve to enhance your future employment prospects.

A large proportion of the teaching on this module is supported by staff in small groups and workshops. Lectures provide the context for the fieldtrips in large group settings, but you will also develop and apply your Geographical research skills in small group settings. Your class materials will be further supported by on-line resources available via the module eLP site. These resources include an interactive reading list with on-line access to a number of key articles and aligned with your lecture programme. Fieldwork gives you the opportunity to apply your newly acquired skills to plan and execute three projects, designed to support your degree programme. The high staff-student ratio gives you the chance to interact with staff one-to-one to support your learning.

Teaching staff operate an ‘open door’ policy for students meaning you can approach them anytime during normal office hours, or via email, to answer questions, receive feedback and support your learning on the module.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

Knowledge & Understanding:
• MLO1: Recognise and explain the reciprocal nature of relationships between physical and human aspects of environments and landscapes
• MLO2: Employ and evaluate the effectiveness of a variety of fieldwork methods

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
• MLO3: Demonstrate field techniques such as observation and report writing
• MLO4: Take responsibility for your own learning and reflect on your learning

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
• MLO5: Demonstrate an awareness of health and safety, moral and ethical dimensions in the design and conduct of geographical field investigations

Three projects will be completed during the fieldtrip (two group projects and one individual project). If you are taking the BA Programme you will carry out two group projects drawing on human geography field techniques and an individual project showing how human and physical geography techniques can be used together. If you are on the BSc Programms you will carry out a group project drawing on human geography field techniques, a group project drawing on physical geography field techniques and an individual project showing how human and physical geography field techniques can be used together. If you are taking the BSc Physical Geography programme you will complete two group projects drawing on physical geography field techniques and an individual project showing how human and physical geography field techniques can be used together. A series of daily tasks for these three projects will be completed during the field trip. Only two of the projects will be assessed summatively, one group project and one individual project. The first group project will be assessed formatively. You will receive verbal formative feedback on all your projects (MLO4, MLO5) throughout the field trip and summative feedback on your written work. (MLO1, MLO2, MLO3). The work from the fieldtrip constitutes 100% of the module mark, consisting of two assignments each worth 50% of the module mark.

Group work is an essential element of this module and the summative assessment strategy is designed to take account of this with a balance between group based and individual assignments. This form of assessment is designed to encourage you to view learning and assessment as a process rather than a one-off, end product.

Summative feedback will be provided in writing for all the coursework. In addition, generic module based feedback will be circulated to you and will be provided in the context of assessment criteria provided to at the start of the module

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This module will provide you with the opportunity to study fieldwork at a variety of sites and it will give you the experience of both human and physical geography skills if you are taking the BA programme or the BSc programme. If you are taking the BSc Physical Geography programme you will focus on physical geography skills. You will be given the opportunity to use technology to develop your learning. The module provides a valuable opportunity for you to develop key transferrable employability skills such as team working, reflexivity, interpersonal skills and project management together with research planning, data collection and analysis. You will be given opportunities to practise methods and strategies of field research in human and physical geography if you are taking the BA or BSc programme such as observing the impacts of geomorphological processes and conducting human geography enquiries. If you are taking the BSc Physical Geography programme you will be given the opportunity to practise methods and strategies of field research in physical geography.