Experiential Learning in Geography and the Earth and Environmental Sciences: Enhancing Public Awareness of Atmospheric Environments Through Field Studies

Introduction

This is a case study based on a four week expedition to the Big Horn wilderness area of the Rocky Mountains, Wyoming, USA. The students are all in their final year of high school being drawn in equal number from James Gillespie's High School in Edinburgh, and State College Area High School in Pennsylvania.

Preamble

Whilst it is generally accepted that fieldwork has always been and should continue to be an integral part of any earth science / geographical education, there would increasingly appear to be a need to justify its place in the school curriculum. While it is certainly not the case that fieldwork has been taken off the curricular agenda, it is becoming increasingly difficult for teachers to implement programmes of fieldwork within current curricular constraints. The recent development of virtual fieldwork and classroom based teaching of skills previously associated with fieldwork cannot be accepted as a viable alternative. Participation in actual field studies enables the student to experience the fragile environment and to be more cognizant of the needs and implications of government policy that seek to preserve select natural reserves across the world. To achieve these goals within a meteorological and climatological perspective, students need to personally experience as much interaction as possible, and if that means experiencing the spectrum of atmospheric phenomena, then so much the better.

This expedition now has a genuine research imperative not only in terms of the scientific investigation but also the pedagogical rationale for rigorous out of class experiences. In the secure but as yet untested knowledge that this kind experience is of immense value to students, we plan to extend the scope of the scientific enquiry while trying to evaluate the educational benefits of the overall project.