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28 Jun
Education NewsAS Geography, Geology and Ecology students see their subject from a new angle on Anglesey
Over 40 students from the AS Geography, Geology and BTEC Ecology courses took to the road last week for a residential trip in Anglesey to gather samples and conduct experiments to prepare for coursework and exams back at College.
There was a huge range of activities which the students engaged in over the course of their 3 night stay. The Geographers and Ecologists explored sand dunes and took samples to observe changes which occur at different distances from the sea. They also spent time looking at infiltration rates, looking at habitats and into soil science as well as having to find evidence of climate and hydrological changes and tectonic activity on the island. For the Geologists, their main task was to discover and map out the physical structure of Anglesey, a study which according to the students’ tutor Tony Shelton, would not be out of place on a PHD course.
Anybody who believed that the trip would be a 3 day holiday was in for an unpleasant surprise as the second day featured a gruelling 6 hour hike around a mountainside. Whilst tiring, this did open up the students’ eyes to the sheer size of glaciers and the magnitude of natural world.
Tars Sandhu, the Curriculum Manager for Geography who accompanied the students on the trip said; “Geography is a hands on subject and the students have to be outside to see the earth around them and understand how it works. For some students, I think it changed their perceptions about the subject. Most schools focus more on urban geography and take students into town centres to do surveys. We prefer to take them somewhere rural to expand their horizons and knowledge. For some of the students, it’s the first time they’ve been out of the city and into the countryside”.
As well as focussing on their subjects, the outing was also a chance for the students to learn a few life skills. Tony Shelton recalls the now infamous sandwich making session which will be long remembered by staff and students who attended.
“We had one student who when making a sandwich, asked if you had to butter BOTH sides of the bread”.
Talking about the more serious life skills, Tony also mentioned skills such as teamwork which were essential for a successful trip. “It was also about working together and it binds groups” he said. Reflecting upon the trip as a whole, he added; “It was truly motivational, it stretched the students a lot but they did very well and they did enjoy it.”
Tars also commented on how the trip will benefit their studies in a number of ways. “It was about them taking responsibility for what they do. The students had a week of preparation beforehand doing practice experiments then going out into the field and problem solving. They had to work together and although staff were available to help, the idea was that they had to think for themselves. In order to learn, they need to see why things sometimes don’t work and that can be the difference between high and low grades.”
The field trip concluded with a visit to Wylfa Nuclear Power Station which is due to be decommissioned and knocked down in the near future to make way for a new plant. The students were able to talk to staff at the plant to find out about issues surrounding nuclear power and to see how it was generated. Tony commented on the visit; “They have come away from this more politically informed”.
Overall the trip was deemed to be a huge success. “The mountains were great this year and we were fortunate with the weather”, stated Tony. “We really enjoyed the three days”.