Development of Fieldwork Skills with Residential Field Study
Courses and Related Arrangement
Clement Cheng
Caritas Chan Chun Ha Field Studies Centre
Presentation Outline
Concept of residential field courses
Development of fieldwork skills from
residential field study courses: Case of Field Studies Centres (FSC) in HK
Related arrangements with special
reference to the joint recruitment
exercise of HK FSC
Concept of Residential Field Study Courses
Established in 1943, the Field Studies Council has had positive and profound impact on the development of field studies works in Hong Kong. It is deeply-entrenched among the Council, that people will appreciate the nature and start to protect it, once they get to know deeper about the
environment in which they live.
The Sai Kung Field Studies Centre (SKFSC) was set up by Hong Kong Department of Education in 1978, after drawing inspirations from the daily operations and courses of the Field Studies Council.
Ho Koon and CCHFSC set up in 1996 following SKFSC’s
model.
Development of Fieldwork Skills – Case of CFC (1)
Existing Topics (Topics offered in 2017-2018):
Drifting Classroom
Dynamic Earth: From Theory to Practice of Geoconservation
Exploring Coastal Environment in Cheung Chau
Island Weather
Managing River and Stream Quality
Physical Environment in Cheung Chau
Sustainable Development
Sustainable City Studies
Traffic and Pedestrian Flow
Woodland Ecosystem Discovery http://caritasfsc.edu.hk/en/downloads/
Forthcoming Topics:
Changing Industrial Location in Wong Chuk Hang (Topics offered in September 2018)
Farming System in Mui Wo (Topics offered in September 2018)
Opportunities and Risk (Topics offered in Jan 2019)
Example of Residential Courses – Planning and Preparation
Coast
When? Where?
Tidal level
Susdev
When? Where?
Example of Residential Courses – Data Collection
Coast
Wind speed Wind direction Wave frequency Longshore drift
Number of swash and backwash
Sediment analysis Beach profile
Susdev
Sustainable indicators:
Air (pm 2.5, pm 10) Noise level
Water pollution parameters Counting of pedestrian and traffic flow
Land use mapping
Use of secondary data for
socio-economic info
Example of Residential Courses – Data Processing
Coast – Example of Beach Profile by Leveling
Example of Residential Courses – Data Processing
Items 項目 Tung Wan
東灣
Public pier 公眾碼頭
Air quality 空氣質素
Wind direction 風向
Wind speed [max.] (m/s) 風速 [最高] (米/秒)
Respirable suspended particulates 可吸入懸浮粒子 (particles per cubic foot)
Noise level [max.] (dB) 噪聲水平 [最高] (分貝)
Flow rate 流量 (5 mins分鐘)
No. of pedestrian 行人數量
No. of bicycle 單車數量 No. of electric car 電動車數量 No. of village vehicle 鄉村貨車 數量
Sea water quality 海水質素
(Physical factors 物理因素)
Water colour 水顏色
(Clear清澈 / Turbid渾濁 / Brown呈褐色 /
Black呈黑色)
Smell 氣味
(None無味 / Some略臭 / Moderate頗臭 /
Strong極臭)
Floating matter 飄浮物
(None無 / Some少量 / Plentiful中量 / Abundant大量)
Laboratory work 實驗工作
(Chemical factors of Sea water 海水化學因素)
pH value 酸鹼度
Ammonia NH3/ NH4+content (ppm)
氨濃度 (百萬分之一) Phosphate PO43-content (ppm) 磷酸鹽濃度 (百萬分之一)
Sudev – Example of Sustainable Indicators
Example of Residential Courses – Data Interpretation
Coast – Example of Beach Profile by Leveling
Compare and contrast the beach profile of Tung Wan Bay and Kwun Yum Wan.
Sudev – Example of Sustainable Indicators
Describe and explain the air quality of Tung Wan
Bay and Kwun Yum Wan.
Example of Residential Courses – Evaluation
S1 What are the limitations of fieldwork today? Please give suggestions for
improvement to these limitations.
S2 Pick one of the urban problems of Cheung Chau above. What information and data should be collected for further investigation?
C1. Review the difficulties in data collection.
Propose ways to improve the data
accuracy in any one of the research item.
C2. Other than primary data, suggest other
secondary data and information you might
need to further investigate the degree of
human impacts on the coast in Cheung
Chau.
Impacts of residential fieldwork – My Perspective
Ample time
Sufficient time for students to reflect one day teaching materials covered
More than one fieldwork conducted – spiral effect of learning
The fieldwork skills can be transferred from one to another. It serves
consolidation purpose.
Positive impacts of Residential Field Courses – Literature Review (1)
Dresner and Gill (1994) found a summer camp programme had increased self-esteem, outdoor skills, environmental issue awareness, and enthusiasm for nature in children.
Palmberg and Kuru (2000) found experiences in nature with environmental skills could develop students’ self-confidence and feelings of safety, in
particular, which in turn increased their willingness to participate in future outdoor activities as students’ comfort zones have been expanded.
Similar findings were found in the studies of Carlson and Baumgar (1974), Dunlap and Hefferman (1975), Ward (1976), Geisler et al. (1977), Ross and Driver (1978), Christy (1983), Sia et al. (1985), Kellert (1985), Shepard and Speelman (1986) and Dettmann-Easler and Pease (1999). Their studies revealed that most of the outdoor camp programmes were effective in enhancing environmental attitudes. Besides, Gilbertson (1991) compared residential EE programmes to other forms of EE programmes and found the residential field experience provided the greatest gain in students’
environmental learning.
Positive impacts of Residential Field Courses
Literature Review(2)
References of Residential Field Courses
Carlson, J. E. & Baumgartner, D. (1974). The effects of natural resource camps on youths. The Journal of Environmental Education, 5(3), 1-7.
Christy, W. R. (1983). An assessment of the effects of two residential camp settings on environmental attitude development. Dissertation Abstracts International, 44, 0282A (University Microfilms No. 83-12304).
Dettmann-Easler, D. & Pease, J.L. (1999). Evaluating the effectiveness of residential environmental education programs in fostering positive attitudes toward wildlife. The Journal of Environmental Education, 31(1), 33-39.
Dunlap, R. & Heffernan, R. (1975). Outdoor recreation and environmental concern: an empirical examination.
The Journal of Rural Sociology, 40(1), 18-30.
Dresner, M. & Gill, M. (1994). Environmental education at summer nature camp. The Journal of Environmental Education, 25(3), 35-41.
Geisler, C., Martinson, O., & Wilkening, E. (1977). Outdoor recreation and environmental concern. The Journal of Rural Sociology, 42, 241-249.
Gilbertson, K. (1991). Environmental literacy: Outdoor education training and its effect on knowledge and attitude toward the environment. Dissertation Abstracts International, 51(12), 4018 (University Microfilms No. AAC
9111708).
Kellert, S.R. (1985). Attitudes toward animals: Age-related development among children. The Journal of Environmental Education, 16(3), 29-39.
Palmberg, I.E. & Kuru, J. (2000). Outdoor activities as a basis for environmental responsibility. The Journal of Environmental Education, 31(4), 32-36.
Ross, D.M. & Driver, B.L. (1977-1978). Benefits of residential and nonresidential youth summer camps. Journal of Outdoor Education, 22, 14-20.
Shepard, C.L. & Speelman, L.R. (1986). Affecting environmental attitudes through outdoor education. The Journal of Environmental Education, 17(2), 20-23.
Sia, A., Hungerford, H. & Tomera, A. (1985). Selected predictors of responsible environmental behaviour. The Journal of Environmental Education, 17(2), 31-40.
Ward, M. E. (1976). A study of the effects a residential outdoor education experience had on adults who attended a program in Rockford as students in 1963 and 1966. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 136 998)
