Enabling remote access for
mobility-impaired students on
OU fieldwork courses
Trevor Collins1, John Lea1, Mark Gaved2,
Sarah Davies3 and Jessica Bartlett3
1
Knowledge Media Institute
2 Institute of Educational Technology
3 Department of Environment, Earth and Ecosystems
Purpose: Remote access
• Access to difficult to reach locations
– Accessibility: spectrum of approaches
inclusive
curriculum
exclusive
curriculum
Adjusting
objectives /
outcomes
Adjusting
fieldtrips /
destinations
Modifying
practices
Offering alternatives surrogates / virtual
fieldtrips
(Healey, Jenkins, Leach and Roberts, 2001)
2
Geoscience fieldwork courses
3
Fieldwork: Problem based learning
• Student-centred approach,
students collaboratively solve
problems and reflect on their
progress
– Learning driven by practical
problems
– Tutors’ role as facilitators of
learning
– Instructional activities to develop
interpretation and reasoning skills
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Teaching & learning requirements
• Inclusive curriculum
– Complete existing course
activities (in groups)
• Vicarious fieldwork
• See, hear, feel... be there
– Seeing: live photos and video
– Hearing: (walkie talkies) VoIP
– Feeling: rock samples
5
Remote access
6
Iterative development
• Collaborate with tutors and students to find out what
works (experience > functionality + usability)
– Spaghetti wiring
• USB and Ethernet cables to Bluetooth and WiFi
– Critical voice communication
• Walkie talkies to VoIP servers
– Fieldwork in all weathers (rain, hail and shine)
• Clear plastic bags, shades and big screens
7
Portable communications toolkit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2baM2JUEI8M
Howick Haven (August 2009)
8
Further information
• Enabling Remote Activity project
– http://projects.kmi.open.ac.uk/era
• The JISC toolshed
– http://ie-repository.jisc.ac.uk/450
• ERA (VoWLAN) technical report
– http://projects.kmi.open.ac.uk/era/vowla
n/report
• Trevor Collins (t.d.collins@open.ac.uk)
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