Open University Urban Heat Island Pilot Study

Cindy Kerawalla, 28 July 2008

Throughout February - April 2008 the OU undertook a large pilot study with 78 students from 3 classes studying for their geography GCSE at Oakgrove School, Milton Keynes. The focus was a fieldtrip where students gathered data from Milton Keynes and Northampton to determine whether there was evidence of an urban heat island in the centre of either town and, if so, why this was the case. The teachers chose this topic and worked closely with the OU research team to develop a location-based inquiry learning toolset.

The aims of this pilot study were:

1. to gain some insights into secondary school culture and pedagogy
2. to work closely with teachers to design a location-based inquiry learning toolset
3. to evaluate the effectiveness of the toolset on a geography fieldtrip
4. to identify areas of teaching and learning that could benefit from technological scaffolding in the future
5. to gain an understanding of the students' perceptions of the inquiry process, scientific methodology and scientific terminology

The study trajectory

In the two weeks prior to the fieldtrip, the students were taught about urban heat islands by their teachers and started to write the introduction section of their coursework. Also, they participated in an outdoor practice session in the school grounds, where they had an opportunity to learn about, and try out, the data collection tools and technology that they would use on the fieldtrip the following week.

The scientific sensor equipment was provided by Sciencescope, one of our industrial partners. This consisted of digital data loggers into which could be plugged a variety of sensors to collect environmental data. For the field trip the students were provided with temperature probes, anemometers, infrared irradiance sensors, and carbon monoxide sensors. The students also used GPS (Global Positioning System) data loggers, so that they could provide an accurate location for their data collection points and represent this on a Google Map. The students were provided with digital cameras so that they could take photographs of the areas where they had collected their data, enabling them to think about how local land use and traffic levels, for example, may affect their data. The data was typed into a customised webform on an Asus EEE ultra mobile PC.

During the fieldtrip, the students walked across Northampton and Milton Keynes town centres and collected data from 12 locations in each town. The students worked in groups of 4/5 and each group shared a laptop, a data logger, scientific probes, a GPS data logger and a digital camera. This was very successful, with all the equipment and technology functioning as expected. Following the fieldtrip, lessons in school focused on data collation, data presentation and analysis and the writing of the students' coursework. This took a further 5 weeks.

OU Data Collection

The OU research team collected a large amount of data:

1. video and audio recordings of all classroom lessons and the fieldtrip
2. interviews with teachers, pupils and parents
3. student questionnaires about the nature of science and their opinions about the utility of geography fieldtrips
4. teacher-generated resources such as PowerPoint slides and a student handbook
5. student exercise books, coursework and journals

OU Data Analysis

Data analysis is ongoing. Currently, we are focusing on the following areas of interest and importance:

1. collaborative and co-operative student behaviours on the fieldtrip and how technology mediated this
2. locating when and where technological support may be of benefit in the next iteration
3. identifying current and potential opportunities for personal inquiry and how this could be scaffolded by the tool kit in future
4. finding evidence that demonstrates students' current understanding of the inquiry process and scientific methods and terminology, and thinking about how this may be improved and supported through the tool kit in future