To measure the potential benefits of digital device integration into outdoor education, I have started to collect data. I observed my students on the NON digital field trip experience, and observed the percent of students who were fully engaged during the nature journaling part (15 minutes) of the trip where they drew pictures inspired from what they saw on the trip. Engagement: 100%! I'm going to guess that they will also be fully engaged when they are able to bring cameras into the field and use them. We'll see. That data will probably not say much, I fear. What I will also do is a student survey where they pick their favorite part of the trip, and say whether they liked the cameras more or the drawing more. Finally, I will compare animal reports done in digital and non digital formats. I will use a rubric to compare outcomes for both reports in terms of depth of information, language usage, etc. I will also observe the students during this time to see if they are more engaged in the digital, Google Slides presentation where they use the photos they took in the field, vs the traditional report where they use the drawings they did in the field.
I have to admit this data collection timeline snuck up on me. I had been planning to use data from an April field trip. Now I will have to do a second, digitally supported trip before holiday break. We will do a walking field trip up Oat Hill Mine Trail. Tomorrow we are starting our first animal reports, to be completed before Thanksgiving break. Wish me luck!
7 Comments
Tracy Moskowite
11/17/2019 07:37:07 pm
First off good luck! I wonder if you can explain in more detail how you are going to compare the experience with camera vs drawing. Is this going to be done in an interview? A questionnaire? Does the age of the students have an effect on your choice?
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Jeremy Smith
11/19/2019 06:09:26 pm
Thanks? I am going to ask the kids which activities they prefer in a questionnaire. I saw a study that is often referenced that did a pretty simple preference survey like this. They just asked the kids which activities they preferred, tech vs non tech. I AM still working out how to best do this in the context of this study. I'm not yet comfortable with what I have so far. Thanks for the comments because they help me figure all of this out.
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Megan Burton
11/17/2019 10:27:45 pm
You've got such a great focus in your action research. I wonder if a questionnaire with a Likert Scale might help you in quantifying their engagement?
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Jeremy Smith
11/19/2019 06:18:32 pm
That's a great idea. Thanks for the feedback! I did a Linkert scale question or two after our first field trip, but I'm going to do one that's more centered on tech vs non tech activities. I may just make a list of tech vs non tech activities we have done outdoors in different trips and ask them on a scale which they preferred. That might give me some solid data to talk about. Thank you!
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Melissa Newman
11/19/2019 09:58:05 pm
I think you have a great plan to collect your data, not to mention some really fun experiences for your students. I was wondering if the different locations of the field trips will affect the students' responses?
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Jeremy Smith
11/20/2019 06:41:02 pm
Yeah I'm guessing it will. The original plan was to do both studies in the same place, as there are two trips a year to Pepperwood. Now that I know this has to be done this semester, I'm going to have to do the digital trip on a walking field trip in Calistoga to the creek or Old Oat Hill Mine Trail. We shall see. In a survey of preferences I still think I can get some valid data. Wish me luck and thanks for the feedback.
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Peter Abboud
11/27/2019 07:56:27 am
Something to think about (but don't let it derail your study).... What is the difference between participation and engagement? If your study is looking at participation, then your 100% participation data from the activity you mention is telling; however, was every student participating truly engaged? How do you know if a student is both engaged and participating as opposed to just participating? I don't know the answer to this question, but I throw it out there for food for thought.
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AuthorJeremy Smith teaches third grade at Calistoga Elementary School. Archives
July 2020
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