The Integrative Learning Value of Field Courses

Abstract

The integrative learning ethos pervades modern higher education. Broadly speaking, this aims to produce well-rounded, adaptable graduates suited to a range of working environments. In a more narrow sense it should produce students that are able to make connections across learning experiences and achieve learning at the highest cognitive level. Our study made use of field courses, which are uniquely placed to offer students integrative learning experiences. Although cognitive gains for students on field courses have been demonstrated previously, this study investigated whether students appreciate the integrative learning gains that students may achieve and applied these findings to the design of a new field course. This course specifically targeted integrative learning outcomes that we subsequently assessed. We found undergraduate students surveyed across three departments at the University of Nottingham recognised that field courses facilitated integrative learning in both the narrow and broad sense. Importantly, students themselves realised the integrative learning gains associated with attending a field course. We found this was also true for the newly designed field course. Overall, we found that field courses offer valuable integrative learning gains, and that these are recognised and appreciated by students. These findings provide strong support for continued offering and increased provision of field course modules in the sciences.

Keywords:

• Integrative learning
• Biological science
• Higher education
• University
• Bloom’s taxonomy
• Synthesis

Acknowledgements

KLD would like to thank Michael Steven, Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz and Markus Eichhorn for the opportunity to participate in the tropical ecology field course. We thank all the field course convenors for their access to enrolment lists and especially the students for participating in the study. We thank two anonymous referees for their constructive criticism of a draft manuscript. The authors declare they have no competing financial interests.

Additional information

Funding

Funding. This work was supported by The University of Nottingham’s Centre for Integrated Learning [grant number H20657] (to KLD and TH) and The University of Nottingham’s Learning and Teaching Development Fund [grant number LTDF 2011-2012] (to KLD) for the tropical ecology field course development study.