Student Perceptions of Fieldwork Utility across Three International Field Courses

Abstract

We started this study after noticing that university students make certain mistakes when elaborating column charts. The objectives of our research were to: 1) analyse the knowledge integrated into the competence of elaborating column charts; 2) analyse the procedure(s) to elaborate these charts; 3) analyse the mistakes that university students make in elaborating these charts; 4) analyse the causes leading to their mistakes; 5) identify ways to improve the educational process and students’ performance results. In order to achieve these objectives, we studied the activity for forming students’ competence to elaborate column charts and we analysed 704 such charts realised by 410 students at the Faculty of Geography within the University of Bucharest, Romania, during the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 academic years. In this paper, we describe the competence to elaborate column charts and present an analytical assessment grid with a dichotomous scale according to the way of presentation proposed by Maria Eliza Dulamă. In the analysis, we assessed charts using this assessment grid that included 20 criteria. We conclude by proposing ways to better the activity that underlies the formation of elaborating column charts (e.g. discussing chart types with students, discussing mistakes and how to correct them, discussing causes of their mistakes and an assessment grid before elaborating charts, creating a check list, etc.).

Keywords

• Geography teaching in higher education, competence, column chart, assessment criteria, indicator, assessment grid

Student Perceptions of Fieldwork Utility across Three International Field Courses

Öz

Anahtar Kelimeler

• -

Kaynakça

1. Béguin, M. & Pumain, D. (2003). La représentation des données géographiques. Statistique et cartographie, deuxième édition. Paris: Armand Colin.
2. Brien, R. (1997). Science cognitive & formation. Montreal: Presses de l’Université de Québec.
3. Cardoso Ferreira, H. M. (2012). A apreciação estética na História da Cultura e das Artes e a construção de gráficos na Geografia – um estudo com alunos do Ensino Secundário, [Master thesis in History and Geography Teaching]. Braga, Minho University. Retrieved from http://repositorium.sdum.uminho.pt/bitstream/1822/24664/ 1/Hugo%20Miguel%20Ferreira%20Cardoso.pdf, August 4, 2013.
4. Di Donna, V. (2007). Elementi di cartografia. Rappresentazioni della Terra e dei suoi fenomeni. Napoli: Liguori Editore.
5. Dulamă, M.E. (2009). Cum îi învăţăm pe alţii să înveţe. Teorii şi practici didactice. ClujNapoca: Editura Clusium.
6. Dulamă, M.E. (2010). Fundamente despre competenţe. Teorie şi aplicaţii. Cluj-Napoca: Presa Universitară Clujeană.
7. Dulamă, M.E. (2011). Despre competenţe, Cluj-Napoca: Presa Universitară Clujeană.
8. Field, R. (2012). Data Handling and Representation, In N. Clifford, S. French & G Valentine (eds.) Key Methods in Geography, 2nd ed., 317-349. London: Sage. http://www.smarquest.ro/ro/resources.html, August 9, 2013. http://www.surveysystem.com/sscalc.htm, August 9, 2013.

9. Martinha, C. (2011). An Analysis of Competence Development in Portuguese Geography Textbooks, Review of International Geographical Education Online, 1(1), 26-40.
10. Mazza, R. (2007). La rappresentazione grafica delle informazioni, Milano: Apogeo.
11. Mohabuth, A.Q. (2011), Competency Assessment on Work based Learning Placement – A Model at the University of Mauritius for Undergraduate Programmes, ASET Annual Conference, Leeds Metropolitan University, 6 th – 8 th September 2011, Retrieved from http://www.asetonline.org/documents/Abdool-2.2.4.pdf, August 4, 2013.
12. Năstase, A. (1983). Cartografie-Topografie, Bucureşti: Editura Didactică şi Pedagogică.
13. Osaci-Costache, G. (2008a). Cartografie, 2nd ed. Bucureşti: Editura Universitară.
14. Osaci-Costache, G. (2008b). Topografie-Cartografie, Metodologie, exemple rezolvate şi 355 de aplicaţii. Bucureşti: Editura Universitară.
15. Osaci-Costache, G. (2009). Curs de cartografie, Bucureşti: Editura Credis.
16. Osaci-Costache, G. (2012). La formazione delle competenze professionali nella specializzazione in Cartografia attraverso l’uso delle fonti cartografiche web e dei programmi gratuiti, liberi e Open Source. Bolletino dell’Associazione Italiana di Cartografia, no. 144-145146, 125-135.
17. Poidevin, D. (1999). La carte: moyen d’action, Guide pratique pour la conception et la réalisation de cartes. Paris: Edition Ellipses.
18. Sarno, E. (2012). From Spatial Intelligence to Spatial Competences: The Results of Applied GeoResearch in Italian Schools, Review of International Geographical Education Online, 2(2), 165-1
19. Spence, I. & Lewandowsky, S. (1990). Graphical Perception, In J. Fox & J.S. Long (eds.) Modern Methods of Data Analysis, 13-57. London: Sage.
20. Traversi, C. (1970). Le carte tematiche per scopi geografici, L’Universo, L(1), 303-318.
21. Tufte, E.R. (1983). The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, Cheshire, Connecticut: Graphic Press.
22. Voiculescu, F. (coord.) (2010). Ghid metodologic de pedagogie universitară, Alba Iulia: Editura Aeternitas.
23. Wall, G. & Donert, K. (2004). HERODOT Thematic Network and the Tuning of Geography Education in Europe. Planet, 12, 19-22, Retrieved from http://journals.heacademy.ac.uk/doi/full/10.11120/plan.2004.00120019, August 4, 2013. Biographical statements
24. Dr. Gabriela OSACI-COSTACHE is a lecturer at the Department of GeomorphologyPedology-Geomatics, Faculty of Geography University of Bucharest, Romania. Her didactic activity focuses on teaching Cartography, Thematic Cartography, and Techniques and Methods for Cartographical Representation. Her fields of interest for research are Historical Cartography, Thematic Cartography, Landscape Dynamics, GIS, the Didactics of Geography, and Toponymy. She is also the Cartography editor of the online journal Romanian Review of Geographical Education and organiser of the international conference Contemporary Trends in Teaching and Learning Geography, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Dr. Maria Eliza DULAMĂ is an associate professor at the Department of the Didactics of Exact Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Sciences of Education, “Babeş-Bolyai” University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Her didactic activity focuses on Geography teachers’ initial and continuous formation. Her main fields of interest for research are the Didactics of Geography, the educational process in Geography, and forming and assessing competences. She is also the editor in chief of the online journal Romanian Review of Geographical Education and coordinator of the international conference Contemporary Trends in Teaching and Learning Geography, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Dr. Oana-Ramona ILOVAN is a lecturer at the Department of Regional Geography and Territorial Planning, Faculty of Geography, “Babeş-Bolyai” University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Her didactic activity focuses on teaching General Regional Geography, Research Methods in Regional Geography, Regional Planning and Local Development. Her main fields of interest for research are Regional Geography, Research Methods in Regional Geography, Territorial identity and its role in regionalisation, and the Didactics of Geography. She is also the executive editor of the online journal Romanian Review of Geographical Education and organiser of the international conference Contemporary Trends in Teaching and Learning Geography, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.