Geology is that type of essential subject which can tell you the physico-chemical and climatic conditions in remote past of any region by examining it's recent geophysical and geochemical condition. Through this subject, we can also determine the biodiversity situation of beaches or forests at past as 'Bioturbation' is a branch of Geology. There are many other utilities of Geology in the field dear Jacqueline.

Thanks for asking this question.

Regards,

Shankhadeep

Dear Jaqueline,

Fisrt of all I think that geology (and sisters discipline like geomorphology, pedology) should be teach in the field at least for childrens and young student as first exepreince with this discipline.

I have the impression that all geologist (my friends) around me have a very passionate link to geology and most of them became geologist already where they were child. Most of them including myself where already passionate by searching fossils and understanding landscape. I grew up in a rural area (Jura Mountains) and my fisrt strong link with geology was the beauty of the landscapes around me. So for me, I am geologist because I really like landscape and I like to understand their origin.

Learning geology field allows to bring out a passionate relationship between the student and the object of study (geology) or more specifically the geological objects that are materialize in the landscape. Besides, it is easier to make the link when the internship courses are done in contrasting area geologically as the mountains. My geological studies have always been marked by internships at the beginning of the academic year in beautiful location. These courses also help to achieve a strong link between students and promotes group dynamics.

simple answer - the virtual knowledge obtained through keyboard and monitor of your PC had to be completed by "touch with the reality of the earthś crust".

Dear Jacqueline

As I am a student myself, I can tell you this with 100% certanty. It is one thing to learn theoretic things in a lecture room. It is important, that´s out of question. But if you never go in the field and learn how stones look like in real life, you will never get a great geologist. You have to look at landscapes and try to understand them, that are things you will never forget. I tell you a story: I learned, how the alps work in the lecture room. Than I went out in the field and unterstood it. I looked at all the stones and tried to figure out, how they could have get there. I drew a profile and finally I had unterstood, what imense forces act by building an orogen. I will never forget, what I learned in this particular region. Now I can connect my knowlegde to other regions.

I think it is very important, that students learn how the earth works by looking at it and trying to find out by themselves. It is the only way of connecting things and remebering for a lifetime.

greetings,

Gerit

Jaqueline

In my opinion the geologist should be intended as "terminal-sensor" which acquires quantitative data on the earth.

The data acquired with this sensor are "unique" and "different" with respect others that we can acquire with other techniques and instruments. This is a peculiarity of the geology intended as an experimental discipline.

I could explain with an instrumental analogy: if you want construct a sensor to perform a measure on a system you need to construct not only the hardware but also a firmware to do it in suitable mode; analogously to measure some parameters of the earth you need to construct a "geological sensor" with a firmware that derives from the field experiences. So that is a "field geologist".

In this sense the field work in teaching geology is fundamental and irreplaceable with each other.

Dear Jacqueline,

Let me tell from my own experience as a student and teacher.

Teaching geology in the field benefits the participants in the following variety of ways:

To experience nature and the environment with all its beauties and dangers.

Teaching fieldwork helps each of us not to lose the connection to nature in our high-tech world.

To learn the comparison between the design and interpretation of maps earlier workers and the changes of outcrops over time.

To study the interplay of cultural landscape and geology.

Learning to document our own observations in all its aspects and data by hand in the field book.

Each participant can learn in a given period of time, to recognize the essential facts and phenomena, and to present the results in a report to inform other people.

Teachers should make absolutely sure that the students have enough time especially for observing and drawing of geological objects for the Excursion report.

I am aware that this is only a very small part of the aspects of teaching geology in the field.

Best regards,

Guenter

Dear Jacqueline,

Sorry, let me add one more of the most important benefits of teaching geology in the field.

The student learns to collect from a certain area of the field representative samples that are not too big but not too small for the subsequent tests in the laboratory.

Each sample must be very carefully selected and documented because it is a unique piece of nature.

Anyone can learn to treat Nature Objects with particular care and to give them special attention.

Best regards,

Guenter

Let me summarize,

Theoretically everybody knows of how to make a child, however theoretically, nobody ever done it.

The same is with our lovely GEOLOGY – simply you can not teach geology without practice. So I recommend: FIELD, Field, and one more time field, field ….:)

Geology students need field practices as well as medical students need human bodies.

Imagine a doctor practicing surgery and has never seen through which the vena cava?The same thing happens to a geologist in the field who has never seen a granite, or a sedimentary structure, or whatever geological stuff!

Abstract (from Roberto De Franco words): Teaching geology in the field is fundamental and irreplaceable.

A first year course (university or school) includes identification of rocks and minerals. After the students complete their lab work with "ideal samples", they go in the field to see if they can find similar rocks/minerals. It is not easy for the first time, but it gets better with practice. Without a field trip, most lab work is soon forgotten.

Same with other topics, such as effects of glaciation.Run your hand over a smooth glaciated rock surface and you can trace direction of the last ice flowing over the area! You can't learn that in the lab.

I really appreciate the range of responses that you all have provided. Experts often feel that students are acquiring many different benefits from field learning, and I think that it is important for Geoscience educators and practitioners to identify and reflect on what they are aiming to achieve during their field trips. 

Recent research by Petcovic, Stokes and Caulkins (2014) has shown that 89% of respondents (Students and staff) say that fieldwork should be compulsory for a degree in Geology. However there was much less support for bedrock mapping (different from other field methods courses; 39%). The study participants valued fieldwork in developing knowledge and skills through direct engagement with geologic phenomena, which is consistent with previous studies by Boyle et al. (2007; 'Fieldwork is good'). 

However, there are differences between the perceived utility of fieldwork between students, educators and the industry. Industry partners had statistically higher support for fieldwork (overall) than students. Students showed statistically higher support for social bonding and interactions with staff during trips.

It should be said that this research was carried out in the States, where views may be different from other cultures. 

Again, thank you for your responses! It's great to hear the wide range of positive support for geology teaching in the field. We need to continue to tell the higher-ups in our universities, schools and governments of this value, as budget-cutters tend to have misconceptions about what we are trying to achieve with fieldtrips. There is value pedagogically, and research supports this.

Dear Mrs. Dohaney,

there is no geology without field geology, and no medicine without a patient. I have been combining field and class room geology (is true also for geomorphology or other disciplines in geosciences) for almost 40 year from the evening adult school to university level. Many aspects have already been mentioned in the Q&A, I can fully agree with them and I need not reiterate them. I fully support and place a bit more weight behind them by listing a few basics which can be employed in different parts

1. Do not replace the classroom by an open-teaching or giving a lecture in front of the outcrop. Do the practical part in the field and the theoretical part in the lecture theatre. Discussing the geochronology or dating of Hf/Lu in front of the rock section is not to everybody´s taste, especially if they cannot avail themselves of this method.

2. Do not try and find a solution in the field with a hand specimen only, for the orogeny of the Himalaya. Take care of the scale you are working on and consider the background or group level

3. Let the audience come to grips with the 3-D imagination, take time to present and provide time to them to digest. Not much but good.

4. Go through the field rather than drive through a section

5. Use the pencil rather than the shutter release button or only in combination of the two

6. Guide your partners to use their eyes, work nose-on-rock and assist them to make discoveries of their own

7. In view of the progress made in the last years, carefully bridge the gap between the hammer and the laptop and encourage people also to capture digital data in the field.

By keeping an eye on these essentials I think you will improve the practical experience, the skills, and broaden the knowledge of your audience in the field. Moreover, you might also strengthen or change the attitude of your group members towards the good when it comes the geosciences in general; it si some kind of promotion. Irrespective of the level you are teaching on, your partners will enjoy that and I am convinced that they are fond of joining you again during your next field trip.

I wish you much success

Harald G. Dill

Dear Mrs. Godfrey,

this is a sad outcome, as you disclose your experience in the field. Maybe I forgot one of the key elements in field sessions during geological work. It should also strenghten the team spirit in a group. I know in some cases it works, whereas in others the disintegrating forces are too strong and even a long-term stay or certain events do not help improve the social situation vrey much. But please be not discouraged by some of these events and filter out the positive side-effects of geology.

Best regards

Harald G. Dill

FIRSTLY ONE SHOULD ENJOY BEING IN THE FIELD. HARD WALK IN COLD OR SUN, WITHOUT RIGHT FOOD AT RIGHT TIME AND BE ABLE TO DO THE NATURAL STUFF OUT UNDER THE BLUE SKY OR CLOUDS. THEN BE A GOOD LISTENER, AND INTERACTOR. THE TEAM LEADER WILL ENJOY SUCH MINDS TOO. 

field work is outdoor laboratory of geology students.