SEEING THE FIELD THROUGH THE EYES OF STUDENTS

Although vision is the primary modality for making field observations, researchers have attempted to gain insight on how students develop observational skills by using assessments, think-alouds, and GPS tracking. This study reports findings from research using technology to track the eye gaze of students as they worked through field exercises.

We solicited volunteers from students enrolled in the Field Geology in the Rocky Mountains course offered at the Indiana University Geologic Field Station in Montana. Nine participants wore mobile eye goggles for one hour each while completing field exercises. The goggles are made from safety glasses outfitted with two cameras: one captures eye movement video, the other faces forward to capture scene video and audio, which are recorded in a DVR worn in a hip pack. Data were collected during three exercises: A) practice independent, B) walkthrough following A, and C) 1^st independent. In the field, students completed a brief calibration and afterwards the two video tracks were interleaved frame by frame to provide the point of gaze of participants within a scene. Video and audio content was coded to deconstruct and then compare occurrences where students made observations or received content from instructors.

Findings reveal instances where students overlooked key features or outcrops or made questionable use of compasses as they constructed maps. One student voluntarily completed a retrospective think aloud session where we reviewed her video while she provided insight on her decision making process, which demonstrated the relevance of conceptual change in the learning process. The student entered into Exercise A with a tentative model for the area. Although the video shows clear evidence that she encountered exposures of rock that contradicted her model, she neglected to include that data and proceeded with her original model. Additionally, review of the video makes it very clear the amount of difficulty students had trying to locate themselves using maps and aerial photos. This difficulty often inhibited their ability to give attention to the important content being shared by faculty.

The connection between these findings and student achievement will be discussed, as will future directions for research.