Making geoscience fieldwork inclusive and accessible for students with disabilities

Abstract

Fieldwork is a fundamental characteristic of geoscience. However, the requirement to participate in fieldwork can present significant barriers to students with disabilities engaging with geoscience as an academic discipline and subsequently progressing on to a career as a geoscience professional. A qualitative investigation into the lived experiences of 15 students with disabilities participating in a one-day field workshop during the 2014 Geological Society of America Annual Meeting provides critical insights into the aspects of fieldwork design and delivery that contribute to an accessible and inclusive field experience. Qualitative analysis of pre- and post-fieldwork focus groups and direct observations of participants reveal that multisensory engagement, consideration for pace and timing, flexibility of access and delivery, and a focus on shared tasks are essential to effective pedagogic design. Further, fieldwork can support the social processes necessary for students with disabilities to become fully integrated into learning communities, while also promoting self-advocacy by providing an opportunity to develop and practice self-advocacy skills. Our findings show that students with sensory, cognitive, and physical disabilities can achieve full participation in field activities but also highlight the need for a change in perceptions among geoscience faculty and professionals, if students with disabilities are to be motivated to progress through the geoscience academic pipeline and achieve professional employment.

A Flexible, Open and Interactive Digital Platform to Support Online and Blended Experiential Learning Environments: Thinglink and thin sections

“…The application of Thinklink to virtual fieldwork, in particular, has considerable potential for increasing accessibility of the field, and which has gained particular relevance in light of the limitations exacerbated by the COVID-19 health crisis (and similar situations) (e.g. Granshaw and Duggan-Haas, 2012;Pringle, 2015;Cliffe, 2017;Stokes et al, 2019). Resources can be as generic or as specialised as required, and their application to other areas of the geosciences which are dependent upon students being physically present in a given location at a specific time (e.g.…”

Using Mobile Technologies to Enhance Accessibility and Inclusion in Field-Based Learning

“…However, the relevance of field education has been subjected to increasing scrutiny (Drummond, 2001;Dohms, 2011), partly due to an increased focus on lab-based research. Another concern has been the "exclusivity" of traditional fieldwork, where independence (Healey et al, 2001;Maskall and Stokes, 2009) and physical conditioning (Kirchner, 1994;Maguire, 1998;Feig, 2010) were lauded (Hall et al, 2002;Atchison et al, 2019a;Stokes et al, 2019). The attributes cater to outdoor enthusiasts that may be considering a geoscience career, but it has become clear that many others are disenfranchised by these restrictions.…”

Barriers to fieldwork in undergraduate geoscience degrees

“…Nevertheless, for too many students, fieldwork represents a barrier to studying geoscience at university. These barriers are especially felt by disabled students and those from racial and ethnic minorities, all of whom are critically underrepresented in the discipline 1,2 . It is, therefore, imperative to consider the place of fieldwork in a typical geoscience degree, and ask how it can be made more inclusive.…”

“…The intense nature of many undergraduate fieldtrips -involving 8-10 hours in the field each day with the potential of additional evening work -places a huge burden on both staff and students. Residential fieldtrips can conflict with work or caring responsibilities, and the long hours present both real and perceived barriers to people with physical and mental health issues [2][3][4] . The high levels of physical activity often required, be it hiking over rough ground or scrambling up steep slopes, can render trips off-putting or completely inaccessible to some.…”

“…Both ADVANCEGeo and the Geological Society Higher Education Network curate a range of resources aimed at designing inclusive fieldwork. Some universities offer reasonable adjustments to students who cannot Barriers to fieldwork in undergraduate geoscience degrees Sam Giles 1,2…”