USING VIDEO TO ANALYZE HOW STUDENTS MAKE OBSERVATIONS WHILE IN THE FIELD

In this presentation, we will discuss analysis of new video data collected from geology students while learning in the field. Using the digital poster format, we will present findings from analysis of two sets of videos. First, we analyzed a set of new videos from students completing field mapping exercises as part of the Field Geology in the Rocky Mountains course offered at the Indiana University Geologic Field Station in Montana. To code the video we used an established coding framework (Maltese, Balliet & Riggs, In Press) to evaluate the general workflow of students while in the field by analyzing the time each student spent on various tasks while in the field. Analysis of these new data support previous results in new settings with minor modifications to the coding framework.

The second set of data comes from a group of students who were part of a mineralogy field trip. These students wore point of view cameras and used electronic pens during a field excursion where they were asked to collect data to complete an assignment based on outcrop observation. Using a modified coding framework we evaluated the time spent on various tasks. We found that students engaged in a wide range of tasks and had a variety of workflows. This direct comparison allowed us to attempt identification of student “types”. Furthermore, we can get a sense of student engagement in the learning tasks, which may provide valuable information on the effectiveness of these and similar field activities.

Future directions for using video for cognition and field research will be discussed.