Field Trips – Making Research Real Malcolm Williams School of Law and Social Science, University of Plymouth

Why Field Trips? Student perception of methods modules as ‘dry’ and ‘disconnected’…… particularly data analysis………. Research for ‘real’ Linking substantive issues to research Embedding research in experience Common in geography/ natural science

Research Based Learning Engaging students in research based learning can involve a number of different teaching strategies. Students can learn about discipline based research; they can learn how to do research; and can be active participants in the research process

Background BSc Social Research Minor. 40 credits hierarchically arranged builds upon previously acquired knowledge and skills. Along side generic social research content that is delivered to a wide range of social science subjects. Field trip was designed for students studying level two, second year, undergraduate social research modules. Students combined Social Research with substantive areas from Sociology, International Relations and Criminal Justice. Students. Aimed to link together more closely the content of the two existing modules: The Research Process and Analysing the Social Survey

Background The vision was to place students in a familiar and equally unfamiliar environment to challenge them to really reflect on research processes in a social setting and also to make quantitative method exciting. Funded as a pilot project from Teaching Quality in Education Fund (TQEF)

The Module Basis for Field Trips Research Process: students learn through a combination of lectures and problem based workshop tasks about all stages of research, both social and market research, from design to presentation’. Problem Based Learning approach that emulating the research process. Analysing the Social Survey students build upon basic descriptive analyses covered in year one, concentrating on bivariate, parametric and non- parametric analyses, and managing common data analysis problems. Secondary data sources are utilised for the data analysis.

The Field Trip Four Day trip to Belfast. Belfast chosen because: combined socio- economic, political and cultural diversity with profound historical interest. NILT Staff had local contacts at Queens/ Ulster

Field Trip Focus The first was to give added extra experiential knowledge about Northern Ireland. The second was to enhance knowledge of existing academic research and research organisations. The third was to execute the street survey planned in the University classroom.

Preparation Modules ’sold’ on basis of field trip. Autumn term briefings on Northern Ireland. Group work designing aspects of a ‘quality of life study’ and a ‘tourism study’ Spring Term analysis module uses NILT and students begin design their questionnaire

Day OneTravel to Belfast Evening: Briefing Day TwoNILT workshop at Queen’s University Belfast. Schedule: AM: Welcome. Introduction to ARK Introduction to NILT: From concept to design Using CAPI/CASI interactive workshop PM: Cleaning and checking survey data Dissemination: Research updates; reports; policy outcomes. Day ThreeAM: Historical, Social and Political tour of Belfast AM/PM: Conduct Street Survey Evening: Survey reflections over a Group meal Day FourAM: Conduct Street Survey PM: Travel to Plymouth Day FiveBack at the University : One week later Data input and preliminary analyses. Field Trip Timetable

Issues to Consider Resource intensive/ funding. Small numbers/ SSR When in the curriculum? Organisation Risk assessment/ insurance Student behaviour

Evaluation Pre field trip evaluation: self- completion survey. Check students were happy with the pre-trip arrangements and to also gauge opinions on perceptions of plans for the field trip. Post-field trip evaluation consisted of a self- completion questionnaire and a focus group discussion.

Evaluation “You could sit in a taxi and see it (murals) and not really know. You could sit in a classroom and be taught it and not really see it, but getting them both together really made the difference.” Conducting the street survey was real. Some of the people I interviewed had really strong opinions. I think it helped that I wasn’t Irish although being English may have caused some bias”

Evaluation “Yeah, I would think about wording the question a bit differently” “People are quite wary when you have a clipboard (in your hand)” “It was a good lesson in how to handle rejection” “We have written about BLAISE in one of our research proposals [for coursework] and to see and use it made it ’real’ …. and I found the background detail on NILT really useful when I came back [to the university] to complete the module assignment

Reflects and Where next Field work trips present a ‘novel environment’ for learning. Do they ‘energise’ students longer term? How will it impact on project work? How does it relate to conducting their own individual research future research projects? Field trips will probably only work in an active learning environment, where doing is embedded in most teaching. Funds willing one day (stage one); two day (stage 2) and 3 day ((Stage 3) filed trips planned. In stage 1 and 2 compulsory and assessed. Stage 3 voluntary.