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Live from the Field events are 50-minute discussions with researchers working at field stations and marine laboratories in ecosystems around the world. Each event is loosely organized around a central theme that targets broad issues related to climate change and human-environment interactions. At each event, we talk with researchers at three field sites, thousands of miles apart, answering questions (listed below) about their life and work. Researchers featured in these events represent a variety of career stages: undergraduates, field technicians, graduate students, field station researchers, and faculty.

Events begin with three 8-min pre-recorded presentations in which researchers identify a research question that they investigate, describe their research process, and discuss their background and career path. The videos are followed by a 15-20 min interactive Q&A session with students. Questions that don’t fit into the Q&A time are answered by researchers after the event and sent to participants.

Target Audience: The events target university undergraduates who may have read an introductory article on the topic being addressed. Events are also open to K-12 and community.

The Live from the Field series is a project of The Virtual Field (the virtualfield.org), an international collaborative of 50+ field stations and marine laboratories partnering to create virtual field experiences for university students. Events are designed to be used by a diversity of disciplines. Links to live events can be found on our calendar, and recordings can be found under Virtual Visits.

STUDENT MATERIALS

Computer

DURATION

50 min video

30 min assignment

MORE INFORMATION

thevirtualfield.org

Blurry video? See viewing tips posted next to each video link on The Virtual Field Website.

The Virtual Field - Live from the Field Series

INSTRUCTOR GUIDE

thevirtualfield.org is a project of the Organization of Biological Field Stations

BACKGROUND

Use multi-site virtual field experiences at field stations and marine laboratories to:

Provide perspectives about what a scientist does, what a scientist looks like, and what careers they have.
Provide a window into the process of scientific inquiry as a field scientist. This process includes the formal parts of question, methods, data gathering and interpretation as well as the messy, iterative process of undertaking field research.
Demonstrate a variety of approaches to conducting research across disciplines, ecosystems, and research questions.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

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After participating in this event, students will:

Demonstrate increased interest in getting field research experience
Be able to identify possible careers in field research
Be able to identify critical steps needed to conduct research: question, methods, data, interpretation
Be able to compare approaches to conducting research by discipline, ecosystem and research question

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Review what the researchers will be talking about. Prior to the event, researchers are provided with the following guidelines: “Be informal. We want students to identify with you. As much as possible, show evidence of what you are talking about in the field. Be transparent. We want students to get a sense of the messiness, uncertainty, and challenges of field research as well as your passion and excitement about what you do.” Researchers are asked to answer specific questions during their 8-minute pre-recorded videos at their field research site.

To provide multiple perspectives about what scientists do and, look like, and what careers they have, we ask researchers:

What is your name, job title, degree?
What is your discipline, and why do you enjoy it?
What is an important experience or person that led you to this career? What challenged you? If you overcame any obstacles, please mention them so students see this is possible.
What kinds of things do you do for your job?

To provide a window into the process of scientific inquiry as a field scientist: (a) question, methods, results and interpretation and, we ask researchers:

What is your research question?
Why do you want to know that?
What kinds of data do you collect? How?
What are some key findings?
What other questions do you have about this?

To provide perspectives on the messy, iterative process of undertaking field research, we ask researchers:

How did you identify your research question? Did it start with an observation? Idea? Need?
Respond to this sentence: “Research is a linear process.” What assumptions about research do you think get in the way of students who may want to try it?
What problems do you encounter in measuring what you want to measure? Did it work the first time? Who helped you overcome these challenges?
How can students get involved in your research or field research in general? Do you have any advice for students?

TIPS FOR INSTRUCTIONS

The Virtual Field - Live from the Field Series

INSTRUCTOR GUIDE CONT.

thevirtualfield.org is a project of the Organization of Biological Field Stations

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For each event, we provide a “Find Out More” document with at least one short introductory paper on the event’s general topic (e.g., harmful algal blooms) that can be assigned as student reading as an introduction to the event. More in-depth resources about the specific research projects discussed during each event are also included, and are useful for upper division and graduate level courses.
See the Assignment (Student Explorer Guide) for recommended questions students can answer.

STUDENT ASSIGNMENT

TIPS FOR INSTRUCTIONS CONT.

These events are designed for synchronous attendance. However, instructors may require attendance by allowing asynchronous attendance as an alternative, while still encouraging synchronous participation. For example, previous instructors have made attendance mandatory, giving two options to receive course credit:

Attend synchronously, ask one question for a researcher, and take a screenshot of your question with your name showing, OR
Watch the event recording asynchronously, write a one-page outline of the event highlighting key facts and findings, and submit one question that you would have asked the researchers if you could have been there.

Viewing Tips: After starting the video, click on the gear icon “⚙” in the lower right corner of your screen. Set video quality to 1080 (HD) or higher, adjust playback speed, or turn on closed-captions.

For students to further engage in exploration of what a field scientist does and looks like, you might check out:

Lab Coats Optional: Developed for high school educators to provide a window into the process of scientific inquiry, but equally valuable for lower division undergraduates.
Data Nuggets: Developed for highschool students to explore datasets, but equally valuable for university undergraduates.

FOLLOW UP RESOURCES

The Virtual Field - Live from the Field Series

INSTRUCTOR GUIDE CONT.

thevirtualfield.org is a project of the Organization of Biological Field Stations