Ann Grand – Virtual Fieldwork, real-world communities

Abstract:

Virtual fieldwork, real-world communities was funded under the Research and Enterprise Services pump-priming scheme and was led by Eileen Scanlon and Sarah Davies. Ann was a member of the core team, alongside Trevor Collins, and the research was carried out by a team of four OU Associate Lecturers: Joanne Craven, Heather Kelly, Snezana Levic and Stephen Bater.

Fieldwork has long had a respected place in education at all levels, however, in the face of a simultaneous decline in participation in ‘real-world’ fieldwork and a rapid increase in the range of analogous and alternative online ‘field’ experiences, we felt there remains a gap in our understanding of how the principles of fieldwork apply across different communities and the ability of alternatives to replicate and extend the social engagement offered by real-world trips.

The project therefore investigated three questions: (i) to what extent can an alternative fieldtrip be a shared experience? (ii) what is the role of fieldwork in building learning communities? (iii) what is the role of different technologies in shaping analogues of traditional fieldwork?

Speaker bio:

Currently Lecturer in Astrobiology Education with AstrobiologyOU, Ann’s role is to create, in collaboration with stakeholders, educational resources that integrate the research of the group. Long-serving IET members might remember Ann from a few years ago, when she was a member of the OU Catalyst for Public Engagement with Research. As a researcher in public engagement with research and science communication, she has worked alongside researchers in the sciences, life sciences, health and well-being studies and the humanities to develop transdisciplinary engaged research.

Dr Ann Grand, AstrobiologyOU, The Open University, UK

email: ann.grand@open.ac.uk

twitter: @ann2_g

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