Student-led Presentationsin situ: The Challenges to Presenting on the Edge of a Volcano

Abstract

Student-led seminars are commonplace within higher education but few are allowed the opportunity of being delivered in situ. Presentations in situ widen the experience of students and develop a range of transferable skills, encouraging a greater sense of place and facilitating reflective learning. This case study describes the experiences of a group of undergraduate tourism management students who embark on a field course to southern Italy and take responsibility for leading the delivery of tutor-assessed student presentations at a variety of selected sites, including the Mount Vesuvius National Park. Students reflect on their own experiences through written comments in an assessed field course notebook that reveals the positive aspects and challenges to presenting in situ.

Emotional geographies experienced during international fieldwork: an evaluation of teaching and learning strategies for reflective assessment

“…Unfortunately, the immediacy of an emotional experience is not always easy to express or capture (Bondi et al, 2005;Thien, 2005). Being immersed in a place, in situ, whilst on fieldwork has the potential to stimulate a variety of emotional experiences that students may be asked to reflect upon as part of their academic studies (Marvell, 2008).…”

Study Abroad Field Trip Improves Test Performance through Engagement and New Social Networks

“…The activities included a: (1) tour of Arenal Volcano National Park and recreation at an adjacent hot springs, (2) canopy tour by zip line and horseback to visit a reconstructed native settlement, (3) night tour of cloud forest in search of snakes and frogs, and a (4) visit to La Fortuna for dinner and shopping. Prior to the trip, students were randomly assigned physical geography topics related to the above activities and were called upon to give short introductions to their peers, similar to the in situ presentations of Marvell (2008).…”

Gaining a “sense of place”: students’ affective experiences of place leading to transformative learning on international fieldwork

“…Increasing opportunities for international travel have enabled students to benefit from experiencing other places, landscapes and cultures (McGuinness & Simm, 2005). The benefits of fieldwork for academic development, skills acquisition and practice and social integration are well rehearsed (Kent, Gilbertson & Hunt, 1997;Fuller, Edmondson, France, Higgitt & Ratinen, 2006;Fuller, 201;Stokes, Magnier & Weaver, 2011), but there are significant academic and personal challenges associated with international fieldwork, such as logistics (Marvell, 2008) and encountering the othe Smith, 2008;Robson, 2002). An on-going debate focuses on the extent to which students begin to comprehend and understand how that place functions.…”

“…However, as della Dora (2011) recognises, it is not just international fieldtrips that offer unfamiliar localities; students may encounter unfamiliar environs in their own country. In addition, some commentators suggest that there is a tendency for fieldtrip destinations to gravitate towards English-speaking nations (McGuinness & Simm, 2005), whilst others make use of representatives with some English competence (Smith, 2006).…”