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Urban FieldworkUrban Fieldwork

Exciting and Motivational Geography

Dr Viv Pointon

GA Post-16 National Conference, 22 June 2010

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Planning fieldworkPlanning fieldwork

Things to consider:

• Choice of location

• Health and safety issues

• Fieldwork strategies

• Background research

• Writing up

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Decisions, decisions…Decisions, decisions…

Timing? Methods?

Location?

Which topic?

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Places to see

• Shops and places to eat• Public services• Parks and open spaces• Museums and galleries• Industry and commerce• Transport facilities• Residential areas

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Calculating risk

Who is at risk?• Learners• Teachers• Other employees• General public

Probability of occurrence:• Unlikely• Rarely• Infrequently• Sometimes • Often

Worst case outcome:• Inconvenience• Minor injury• Injury/illness• Major injury• Fatality

Risk rating =

Worst case outcome x probability of occurrence

PLAN YOUR RESPONSE!

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Using photographic images

• Find photos of your fieldwork area from http://www.geograph.org.uk (just key in the grid square).

• Or use Google Earth to focus on the study area.

• Other images may also be found on the local council website.

• Or visit the area before, take photos and show these in class.

• Print and laminate photos for group work – encourage students to identify features that could be investigated.

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Things to study

• Pedestrians• Traffic• Shops/business• Bi-polar analysis

• CBD models• Microclimate • Building material• Street furniture

• Disabled access• Building design• Sound mapping• Urban art

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Getting started…Identify and define key concepts and/or processes:• Is there a relevant theory or model?• What processes are shaping the area?• What are the variables that can be measured?

eg: Core-frame models– redevelopment– pedestrian flows– zonation or quarters

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Data collection strategiesLocate the study area

Delimiting the areaUsing appropriate maps

Identify methods to investigate the question or hypothesisPrepare questionnaires and log sheets

Carry out pilot surveysIn the classroomIn the school groundsAt home

Identify sampling methodsRandom, systematic, stratified?How many responses?

Describe and justify these methodsLearners should make notes from the outset

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Doing what works• Effective fieldwork is student-

centred not teacher-led.• Learners should be able to

take ownership of their fieldwork.

• This will enable them to respond the requirements of the assessment more effectively.

• Use qualitative and ethnographic methods of data collection as well as more traditional quantitative methods.

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Things learners can do:• Write down descriptive words – first impressions?• Take photographs – what would you see?• Note land uses – what wouldn’t you see?• Listen – what would you hear?• Assess light and lighting – how safe is it?• Study buildings – age, design, materials?• Consider accessibility – can a buggy get there?

Preparation:Preparation:

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SamplingSampling strategies:Random (numbers generated using chart or calculator)Systematic (select an appropriate and representative sample)Stratified (select proportionate amounts from more than one area or population)See http://www.s-cool.co.uk/alevel/sociology/methods/sampling-methods.html for good advise on sampling methods.

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Using equipment Sound – use noise meters to gather data for sound pattern

maps Light – this can affect pedestrian flows (sunny side of

street or defensible space)Distance – measure length of shop fronts, distance to car

parks (tapes, pacing, large-scale maps or GPS)Ecology – simple quadrat and transect surveys will work in

parkland, copses and playing fieldsMicroclimate – measure wind speed and direction and wet

and dry bulb temperaturesPollution – (as well as noise meters) monitor acidity of

rainfall, survey particle deposition, or the pollution of an urban water course

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Using photographyMost learners now have digital cameras on their

mobile phones Use both wide angle and close-up shots

Monitor change over time

Assess flow volumes

Use video sequences

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Secondary data sources• Local libraries have reference

sections which may still have very useful map resources (such as Goad plans) and planning documents.

• Other useful organisations may include your local university, environmental pressure groups, tourist information offices, etc.

• Online resources are dependent on what the local authority provides but can be a rich source of information.

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Online data sources• http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/regional-statistics/

index.html - for census and other official data. • See also local authority websites with useful links.• See ratinglists/voa.gov.uk for rateable values for

business properties.• See http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk for data and

graphs using earlier census data.• Find property values at

http://www.houseprices.co.uk.• Use http://www.upmystreet.com/local/neighbours

for ACORN profiles.• See also insurance quote websites for

comparisons of similar properties.

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Producing a report:Producing a report:

Data Presentation

Analysis and Interpretation

Conclusion and Evaluation

http://www.ocr.org.uk/download/sm/ocr_13331_sm_gce_unit_f764.doc is very useful

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Data Presentation

• Learners should know how to collate and sort the information collected and how to present it in appropriate ways.

• They should record what they have learned and what the information shows.

• Limitations and improvements should be identified at every stage.

• See http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/08/02/data-visualization-modern-approaches/ for some really wacky inspiration!

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Using simple ICT (Excel)

0 5 10 15 20

Garden waste

Paper & cardboard

Kitchen waste

General household

Glass

Wood/furniture

Scrap metal/white goods

Dense plastic

Soil

Plastic film

Textiles

Metal cans/foil

Disposable nappies

Garden waste 20

Paper & cardboard 18

Kitchen waste 17

General household 9

Glass 7

Wood/furniture 5

Scrap metal/white goods 5

Dense plastic 4

Soil 3

Plastic film 3

Textiles 3

Metal cans/foil 3

Disposable nappies 2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Garden waste Generalhousehold

Scrapmetal/white

goods

Plastic film Disposablenappies

The composition of household waste in the UK

Garden w aste

Paper & cardboard

Kitchen w aste

General household

Glass

Wood/furniture

Scrap metal/w hite goods

Dense plastic

Soil

Plastic f ilm

Textiles

Metal cans/foil

Disposable nappies

0

5

10

15

20

25

0 10 20 30

Paper &cardboard

Generalhousehold

Wood/furniture

Dense plastic

Plastic f ilm

Metal cans/foil

Determine the most effective methods.

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Analysis and InterpretationLearners should know how to describe, interpret and analyse their results. Suitable quantitative techniques include:

Mean, median and modePercentagesInter-quartile rangeStandard deviationNearest neighbour analysisMann Whitney U testSpearman rank correlation

Chi squared analysis

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Conclusion and Evaluation • Learners should be able to

relate their conclusions to their results and initial question or hypothesis.

• They should identify any problems encountered in carrying out the research.

• They should comment on the accuracy of their results and the validity of the conclusions.

• And they should know ways in which the investigation may be improved and extended.

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Is Geography about Is Geography about fieldwork?fieldwork?

Or is fieldwork about Or is fieldwork about Geography?Geography?

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How many field trips have How many field trips have killed learners’ interest in killed learners’ interest in

Geography?Geography?

How many learners have How many learners have you seen come alive on a you seen come alive on a

field trip?field trip?

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Fieldwork should inspire, Fieldwork should inspire, enthuse and energise enthuse and energise

learners…learners…

it is worth much more than a it is worth much more than a means to an end for means to an end for

assessment!assessment!