INVESTIGATING MODELS OF TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED GROUP WORK ON AN INCLUSIVE INTERNATIONAL FIELD TRIP

In the ‘GP-EXTRA: Inclusive Field Experiences’ project we investigated the symbiotic relationship between learning design and educational technology as a means to support group work.

During a 10 day field trip, 11 students, 5 faculty lecturers, and 2 graduate student teaching assistants, visited a series of geology field sites in the west of Ireland; observed and supported by an evaluator and 2 technology-enhanced learning researchers. An iPad, which included a set of geology and note-taking apps, was provided to each student. Evaluated through 3 distinct models of group work, we considered how mobile and network technologies were used to support students working independently in pairs, collaboratively in asynchronous groups, and collaboratively in synchronous groups. These 3 models characterise distinct strategies for developing fieldwork activities to meet the needs and abilities of a diverse student group with unequal access to field sites.

On the first exercise students examined seaside cliff exposures at Kilkee and worked in pairs to capture and describe examples of sedimentary structures. Each pair then presented their examples to the larger group. In the second exercise, students visited a site near Clifden and over 3 days worked in 3 asynchronous and separated groups collecting orientation measurements and lithologic observations, to produce group reports and create a geological map. For the final exercise, students visited a cliff exposure of glacial till at Renvyle Point and worked in synchronous split groups (i.e. at separate locations, connected by a local WiFi network) to characterize glacial structures and determine ice flow direction.

Contrasting the three learning designs, the synchronous technology-mediated live video link used in the last activity gave the strongest sense of social engagement and group cohesion. However, the asynchronous fieldwork coupled with group presentations in the first activity also developed a sense of engagement and helped establish a peer learning community. Rather than seeking an optimal learning design or technology applicable in all contexts, this study highlighted the benefits of tailoring the learning design and making appropriate use of technology within each field environment to enable all students and staff to achieve their learning objectives.