REF:66-2102-478322 - Field trips

Your comment: Module: BR27220 We were meant to go on a field trip, for obvious reasons this didn't happen. But now we are being told to complete the assignment to the level as if we went on that trip with resources that do not work for what is required. We have been told to 'imply what you can'. When we brought this up to the lecturer they got very defensive and did not answer the questions asked. We are still expected to write 5000 words on an area we have no knowledge of and several of us are infuriated at the lack of response given to us.

Our response:

Thank you for your comments. I would first of all like to reassure you that the assignment will be assessed according to what can be realistically achieved without students being able to go on the field trip. The markers and external examiners will be fully aware of the circumstances and constraints. I would also like to highlight the extent of support and resources that have been made available as your use of these will also be taken into account. The module coordinator has demonstrated how Google Earth can be used to resolve individual trees and sections of the target designated site with very different character founded on the species, size and dispersal of trees. He showed students how scrolling through historic aerial photographs can locate images with angle of sun and time of year that reveals more detail, such as colour and contrast of foliage of different tree species, including individual hawthorn trees in flower. He has agreed to annotate some screen grabs so that students can emulate the demonstration. An online seminar was devoted to online information sources of direct relevance to this assignment (mapping and biological records) and this was supported further in a related online seminar. The module coordinator has already held a Q&A and is available to answer further questions but we also wish to enable second year students to demonstrate some independence