Lou Angeli OCAMPO, University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines
Emmanuel GARCIA, University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines
Joseph PALIS, University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines
Fieldwork is an essential aspect of geographic pedagogy as it allows experiential learning and ultimately contributes to the development of students as future geographers (Herrick 2010; Hammond, 2017). The ‘field’ in fieldwork implies immersion of the researcher in the “real-world” and face-to-face interaction with research partners that allow the better appreciation of concepts and theories that are being taught inside classrooms. However, the pandemic prevented the face-to-face interaction between the student and the teacher, researcher and research partners. It compelled educational institutions to think of creative ways to continue geographic instruction without jeopardizing student safety, especially in facilitating courses where fieldwork is essential.
Cyberspace became a substitute for physical classrooms and sustained learning. In this research, we aim to explore the potential of cyberspace to create new networks of peoples and technologies to advance academic research and extension activities. The research presents the opportunities and challenges experienced in facilitating a virtual field class in 2020, vis-à-vis course learning objectives that were based on ‘traditional’ fieldwork design. It provides insights on data generation, access, and usage; collaboration with different research partners; and the need to create an enabling workspace for the students.
Mots clés : geographical education|fieldwork|remote learning
A105196LO