Enhancing field research methods with mobile survey technology

Abstract

This paper assesses the experience of undergraduate students using mobile devices and a commercial application, iSurvey, to conduct a neighborhood survey. Mobile devices offer benefits for enhancing student learning and engagement. This field exercise created the opportunity for classroom discussions on the practicalities of urban research, the survey data was available for immediate analysis, and students felt they were conducting meaningful research. The module experience supports recent research finding that mobile devices offer significant benefits for instructors, but using mobile devices also creates potential risks (to the students, equipment, and data) that must be considered while planning modules and during instruction.

Keywords::

• mobile devices
• field research
• survey methods
• Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh
• gentrification frontier
• experiential learning

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

^1. Released by www.harvestyourdata.com, the company repackaged the Android app as “droidSurvey” after this 2013 study was completed.

^2. With nine of the ten teams each named for a geographer, the most heated rivalry occurred between Teams Ley and Valentine.