Journal of Academic Development and Education JADE Issue 11 Summer 2019 | Page 34

module asking students to conduct an ‘active’ crime scene search for a buried target on campus. This project is student-led, group problem-based learning to design a survey, process and interpret data and submit a group technical report. There is plenty of pedagogic research to evidence students ‘learning whilst doing’, with a multitude of learning environments suggested. Previous pedagogic research in GGE has used fieldwork for students to acquire a variety of skills (see Pringle et al. 2010) and Keele campus is a great laboratory for students to use. Student evaluations of these session are universally appreciative and many students go on to related commercial careers using the skills gained. Using such outdoor spaces for engaging with abiotic nature in their studies is highly effective for learning. Enhancing Academic and Professional Skills through Collaborative Projects Sam Davenward ([email protected]) This presentation shares the social learning implications and opportunities from multidisciplinary group projects within Keele Foundation Year’s Academic Development module. Students across the full range of Keele programmes work in small tutorial groups alongside Personal Tutors to enhance their generic academic and professional skills. Semester one encourages a personal reflective approach to skills development with support in the form of linked lectures and tutorials; the module is constructively aligned (Biggs, 1996) so that, in semester two, these skills are enhanced and broadened in the collaborative process of a research project where students from a range of backgrounds and degree pathways collaborate to design, execute, present and assess their own assignment under the guidance of the Personal Tutor. According to Vygotsky’s (1978) social constructivist view of learning, knowledge is shaped through social interactions. The group project provides ample opportunity for peer learning and peer support, which promotes the development of students’ teamwork and leadership skills, along with other interpersonal skills, organisation and project management (Boud, 2001). At the end of the project, 34  students assess the contributions from their group members using WebPA, which encourages students to take ownership of the project and ensures that the work is fairly assessed (Gordon, 2010). The presentation identifies key beneficial components and potential pitfalls within this group work which may be adapted and incorporated into peer learning within the wider academic curriculum. Black Gold for a Green Future Steve Rogers ([email protected]) Sustainability of the planet is fundamental to our common future, and geologists and geoscientists are key stakeholders in this process. Better understanding of the Earth, its processes and utilisation of its resources, through successful science communication, is necessary for the effective creation of sustainability policy. Whilst the synergy between geoscience and sustainability is often obvious, the framing of the links is often neglected or downplayed within the UK Higher Education setting. This results in geoscientists lacking in familiarity with sustainability issues, including the ability to communicate geoscience issues to non-specialists effectively. Using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the inclusion and embedding of sustainability issues within Geology and Geoscience modules (offered by the School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, Keele University, UK) is framed in an effort to consolidate and enhance our current standing on sustainability issues. Further tracking of the emphasis and positioning of sustainability issues within these modules will enable a better articulation of the importance between geology and society.