Fieldwork principle 5: Staff in the field

Staff take on significant responsibilities in delivering taught undergraduate fieldwork. These activities must be appropriately resourced, with staff trained and supported to deliver high quality field learning that is safe for all involved. Fieldwork is integral to geographical education and should be appropriately rewarded in workload schemes so that staff are encouraged to offer fieldwork options, but it must be recognised that staff have differing capacities to lead and teach on field courses.

The following list of online resources is dynamic. If you know of other relevant resources you think we should be sharing, we’d be happy to hear from you at rhed@rgs.org. The Society does not accept responsibility for the content of the external sites. Inclusion on this list does not equate to an endorsement of any content or organisation. Please contact the external site for questions regarding individual resources.

 

Workload and contact hours

Explaining contact hours

Quality Assurance Agency (UK)

Guidance for institutions providing public information about higher education in the UK

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A beginner’s guide to academic workload modelling

David Kernohan/WONKHE (UK)

A discussion of the modelling and reporting of academic workloads.

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Workload survival guide for academics

Times Higher Education (UK)

Advice on how to cope with all the work and when to say no to opportunities.

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Selected readings

• Gregory, M.S. and Lodge, J.M. (2015) Academic workload: the silent barrier to the implementation of technology-enhanced learning strategies in higher education, Distance Education, 36:2, 210-230. Access the article.

• Kenny, J.D.J. and Fluck, A.E. (2014) The effectiveness of academic workload models in an institution: a staff perspective, Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 36:6, 585-602. Access the article.

• Scott, I., Fuller, I. and Gaskin, S. (2006) Life without Fieldwork: Some Lecturers' Perceptions of Geography and Environmental Science Fieldwork, Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 30:1, 161-171. Access the article.