3 ECTS credits
90 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 1017294CNR for all students in the 2nd semester at a (C) Bachelor - specialised level.

Semester
2nd semester
Enrollment based on exam contract
Impossible
Grading method
Grading (scale from 0 to 20)
Can retake in second session
Yes
Enrollment Requirements
Students must have followed ‘Fieldwork I’ and 'Fieldwork II', before they can enroll for ‘Field Trip Geography’.
Taught in
Dutch
Partnership Agreement
Under interuniversity agreement for degree program
Faculty
Faculty of Science and Bio-engineering Sciences
Department
Geography
Educational team
Anton Van Rompaey
Maarten Loopmans
Gert Verstraeten
Christian Kesteloot
Gerard Govers
Dominique Vanneste
Jean Poesen
Matthieu Kervyn De Meerendre (course titular)
Bas Van Heur
Activities and contact hours
48 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
Course Content

The student has to make a choice between physical geography field work or social geography field work.

For the physical geography field work the students prepare a literature study on a specific topic based on a list of topics (incl. the location of the stops during the excursion) that is made available to all students at the beginning of the semester. This text is given to all students before the start of the excursion (CD-rom and the learning platform). Based on this study the student is asked to explain the observations in the field.
The student also makes notes of all observations in a field notebook.
A group report on the field trip is made.

For the social geography field work a field trip abroad of several days is organised specifically focusing on urban studies. The structure of the social environment of a city is studied in relation to its specific historical settings.  This is done by means of guided tours, visits and field research. If possible the hinterland is included.

Course material
Digital course material (Required) : Syllabus, voorbereidingsverslag, terreinschrift en achtergrondliteratuur
Additional info
Both field trips are jointly organised by VUB and KULeuven. Physical geography field work: written reports on all topics (made by the students), the group report and the field notebook.
Social geography field work: syllabus and background literature.
Learning Outcomes

General competencies

The student should acquire an in-depth knowledge of geographical field research techniques. During field trips (inland and abroad) the students is confronted with the reality behind the theoretical contents of the physical and social geography courses. Specific field observations are linked to theoretical concepts via abstraction.

The student learns techniques allowing to synthesize the acquired knowledge and report both orally and written:
- translating theory from the course and from scientific literature to real world situations;
- oral reporting and explaining;
- written reporting.

The ability to function in a group is developed through the making of a written group report.

Important are the development of a critical attitude, the ability of abstraction and synthesis.

The student learns to analyse in-depth a problem from the geosciences and acquires insight in the fundamental physical and/or social processes governing the functioning of the environment. For this it is important that the student develops the necessary skills and attitudes allowing him to independently follow up the evolution of knowledge within the field of physical and/or social geography.

The course specifically contributes to the development of the necessary knowledge and skills the student needs to be able to analyse specific geographical problems.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Other Exam determines 60% of the final mark.
SELF Practical Assignment determines 40% of the final mark.

Within the Other Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • Oral exam or paper after excur with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 60% of the final mark.

    Note: Oral exam during which the student can use his field notes and provided documents - a mark of at least 9/20 for the exam is required to pass the course (physcial geography) - written paper after the excursion for social geography.

Within the SELF Practical Assignment category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • Oral and written reporting with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 40% of the final mark.

    Note: Oral and written reporting during the excursion (40%)

Additional info regarding evaluation

- a literature study before the excursion (20%)
- oral and written reports during the excursion (30%)
- a paper or an oral examn after the excursion (50%)

Allowed unsatisfactory mark
The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context

This offer is part of the following study plans:
Bachelor of Geography: Default track (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Teaching in Science and Technology: biologie (120 ECTS, Etterbeek) (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Teaching in Science and Technology: chemie (120 ECTS, Etterbeek) (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Teaching in Science and Technology: wiskunde (120 ECTS, Etterbeek) (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Teaching in Science and Technology: ingenieurswetenschappen (120 ECTS, Etterbeek) (only offered in Dutch)