Oliver, C., Leader, S., & Kettridge, N. (2018). Birmingham Bog outdoor laboratory: potentials and possibilities for embedding field-based teaching within the undergraduate classroom. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 42(3), 442鈥�459.
This paper assesses the potential of campus-based fieldwork to bridge the gap between lecture-based teaching and active learning. The authors are from the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK. Developed principally for research, the Birmingham Bog (BB) is a designated space that consists of 12 mesocosms. It is integrated as a campus-based field site within a 3rd year undergraduate 鈥淲etlands Environment鈥� module that also includes lecture-style teaching to provide a theoretical basis and computer classes to aid in numerical analysis and modelling of core system processes. Located five minutes walk away from the lecture room, the BB removes students from the classroom, engages them with the theories they are being taught in the lecture, and allows them to assess their understanding through practical tasks. Evaluation of the extent to which the approach can complement or replace current field based teaching activities was explored through in-depth group interviews (2-5 students in each group comprising a representative sample of 25% of the class). Analysis suggests the BB was considered an example of 鈥渆ffective learning鈥�, however, the value placed on residential field courses cannot be met by such campus experiences. Despite this, an outdoor laboratory represents an increasingly fertile space for deeper stimulation and innovative ways of learning.