Abstract
Undergraduate field experiences (UFEs) are a prominent element of science education across many disciplines; however, empirical data regarding the outcomes are often limited. UFEs are unique in that they typically take place in a field setting, are often interdisciplinary, and include diverse students. UFEs range from courses, to field trips, to residential research experiences, and thereby have the potential to yield a plethora of outcomes for undergraduate participants. The UFE community has expressed interest in better understanding how to assess the outcomes of UFEs. In response, we developed a guide for practitioners to use when assessing their UFE that promotes an evidence‐based, systematic, iterative approach. This essay guides practitioners through the steps of: identifying intended UFE outcomes, considering contextual factors, determining an assessment approach, and using the information gained to inform next steps. We provide a table of common learning outcomes with aligned assessment tools, and vignettes to illustrate using the assessment guide. We aim to support comprehensive, informed assessment of UFEs, thus leading to more inclusive and reflective UFE design, and ultimately improved student outcomes. We urge practitioners to move toward evidence‐based advocacy for continued support of UFEs.
Highlights
Conducting research, collecting data, and teaching students outside of a laboratory or classroom setting are commonplace across disciplines
A survey of participants at the Geological Society of America meetings (2010 and 2011) showed that the majority (89%) of survey participants felt that field experiences were vital to geoscience education and that the bulk of the value lies in cognitive gains, and to a lesser degree, sustained interest in the field (Petcovic et al, 2014)
The vignettes provide examples of how one can apply the components of the guide (Figure 1) to a given Undergraduate field experiences (UFEs), and at the end of the paper, we present two of the vignettes in a more detailed narrative, offering examples that synthesize the ideas presented (Expanded Vignettes)
Summary
Conducting research, collecting data, and teaching students outside of a laboratory or classroom setting are commonplace across disciplines. In numerous disciplines, engaging undergraduates in experiences that take place in the field ais expected and intuitive (Dressen, 2002), and considered central to training goals (Fleischner et al, 2017; Giles et al, 2020; Gold et al, 1994). For the purposes of this paper, we borrow from the work of colleagues (Fleischner et al, 2017; Morales et al, 2020; O’Connell et al, 2021) to define what we are considering to be a UFE.
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