FIELD TRIP AND EXCURSION

 

        

  Audio visual aids are important in education system. They are used to encourage the teaching learning process and make it easier and more interesting. The use of audio-visual aids provide assistance to the teacher for following maxims of teaching like simple to complex, ‘concrete to abstract’ ‘Known to unknown’ and 'learning by doing’ etc.  These teaching aids give direct sensory experience to the students.

Audio visual aids can be broadly divided into 2 types based on their operation: (i) Projected aids (ii) Non-Projected aids.  Activity aid comes under non-projected aids encompassing field trips and excursions.  These aids are the tools purposefully designed to overcome verbal deficiencies in communication in a classroom situation.

ACTIVITY AIDS

Aims of Activity Aids: To provide opportunities for shared learning, to highlight innovative approaches, increase the student involvement in learning process, make the student to attain increase level of cognitive objective.

Objectives of Activity Aids: To develop and perfect their skills in collaboration, to deepen and integrate their understandings of the critical approaches, historical contexts for understanding conflicts, to cultivate and refine their abilities

Definitions of Activity Aids: "Activity aid induce direct participation of student and teachers to get first hand knowledge."

"An educational procedure by which the student studies firsthand objects and materials in their natural environment"

Purpose of Activity Aids: It gives the opportunity to interact with the content, It allows them to comprehend more easily. It helps the student to make the learning environment and engaging. It improves the quality of education and provide students with the sense of excitement they desire.

         Types of Activity Aids: Field trip, Museum, dramatization, exhibition, planetarium,demonstration, experiment, puppets and excursion.

          FIELD TRIP

 "It is defined as a planned group of and supervised visit of students outside the normal classroom to get the first hand experience" (bravanthapa, 2009)

            Aims of Field Trip: To get experience and direct contact with the things and system of real life related to the textual material of classroom interaction to have an in-depth study of an instructional unit, to arouse interest in an instructional unit, to import positive altitude and sharpen social skill and to review a class lesson by relating it to the real situation.

               Types of Field Trip:

Local Trip: is a trip within the educational institution and its immediate neighbour to acquaint students about the potential of learning from the immediate environment.

Eg: visit the institution's library, labs etc.

Community Trip: is made to a nearby place of educational interest and it require some hours or a complete day.

Eg: A trip to the local zoo

Educational trip: is made to a distant place requiring more than one day.

                 Organisation of Field Trip:

●      Prepare yourself and student for the trip so as to make specific observation during the trip.

●      Identify the main purpose of the trip.

●     Specific instruction should be given regarding the schedule, departure, transportation, stay, meal, take a manageable group of student for the field trip

●    Prepare a guide and activity sheet for the educational tour based upon the prior information about the place visit.

●     Observe, discipline, decorum and regulation during the field trip

●      Inform the proper agency

●   Prepare activity and worksheet and distribute the student to collect and write the information, draw sketches and stick picture and postcard

●  Instrued the student regarding safety rules and precaution against hazards which can happen during field trip.

●      Take camera, binoculars for recording the final observation.

               Advantage of Field Trip:

●      It provide accurate information about objects, processes and system in their real selling.

●      It provide meaningful direct experience and hence result in lasting learning

●      Student enthusiasm for field trip can be easily diverted to effective learning.

●      It provide oide student the opportunities to utilize all their senses for learning

               Disadvantages:

●      Preparation

●      Affordability

●      Transportation cost

●      Medical risks

●      Collect parental consent

●      Need budget

              Follow up After Feedback:

A well planned session after the field trip increases its educational value. This session will give the feedback about the information learnt and attitudes develop during the trip: Some of the post trip activities could be:

●      a group discussion about the outcome and education effectiveness of the trip

●      collection and display of the learning material collected during the trip

●      Relating the field trip gains with the learning units in the syllabus

●      Extending the learning from the field trip in the form of preparations reports, projects etc.

●      Testing the gains from the educational trip through opinion and questions.

EXCURSION METHOD OF TEACHING

The word 'excursion' means a journey, trip, tour planned for students in which the students actually visit places or sites and has the first hand experience which results in easy, interesting and effective learning. It provides ample opportunities to students for seeing','hearing' examining, gathering data , and asking questions, such excursions are most conducive to learning.

Excursions are effective and novel pedagogy and teachers report wanting frequently. Short excursions for education or for observations of natural phenomena are called field trips. One-day educational field studies are often made by classes as extracurricular exerciens, e. g. to visit a natural or geographical feature. Excursion provide natural learning environments (NLE),a form of alternative education.

             Features of Excursion Method of Teaching:

●      It makes learning more effective to gain real ideas on the topic.

●      It motivates students through increased interest and curiosity.

●      It increases student-student and student-teacher social interaction which supports cooperative learning strategies. This method provides an opportunity to involve students, parents, and the teachers in the instructional program.

●      It develops social awareness a people which results to bring close to each person of community. It makes students aware of learning activities in everyday life.

            Purpose:

●      To enhance the curriculum. This method provides opportunity to make learning more meaningful and memorable comparing to regular classroom instructional programs.

●      To enrich experiential learning experience

●      To develop concrete skills such as note taking, speaking skills and writing skills.

●      To increase involvement in a real world experiences.

            Types of Excursion:

1) Instructional Excursion: is a visit by a group of classes to location outside the regular classroom, which is designed to allow the student to achieve specific course objectives, which cannot be achieved as efficiently by other means.

Eg: A visit to botanical garden to study about different kinds of flower.

2) School Contests or Festivals : is an extra-campus activity. It provides a motivational incentive for the school, club, group or class and is related to improving the institutions/ school climate.te

            Steps:

1. Selection of Places of Excursion:

●      Identify objectives and plan of evaluation for the field visit.

●      Select the place to visit and arrange date and time.

●      Conduct pre-visit to familiarize yourself with the major features of the field and

obtain address, directions, contact person and mobile numbers.

2. Logistics Planning:

●      Apply for administrative approval and file requisition for transportation.

●      Make arrangement for meals and develop schedule for the day.

●      Arrange special equipment like cameras and collect admission fees if the site demands.

●      Inform parents about the trip and collect home phone number for emergency.

3. Preparation/ Pre-trip discussion -

          Discuss the purpose of the visit, set a standard conduct and discuss  usage, money and overview the excursion schedule.

4. The Excursion:

           Ask prepared questions and note the answers and execute as planned

5. Post Excursion:

      Let the students to share their observations and reaction to the excursion, create    classroom bulletin board displaying materials collected while on field trip.

6. Evaluating the excursion :

●       What was the unique educational value in this trip?

●       Did students meet the objectives?

●       Was there adequate time?

●       Was there adequate staff and adult

supervision?

●       What might be done differently to be better?   

            Advantages of Excursion Method of Teaching :

●      It provides direct source of knowledge and acquaint the student

with first hand information.

●       They provide an opportunity to the student for  development of his aesthetic sense.

●       It helps in developing qualities of  resourcefulness, self- confidence, initiative and

leadership amongst students.

●       It helps in developing cooperative attitude and various others

●       It helps in proper utilization of leisure.

●       It Brings reality in teaching. It motivates the students for self-study and self-activity.

●       Gives concrete experience.

      Disadvantages of Excursion Method of Teaching :

●       Time consuming.

●       It is not applicable to all the students of the

students.

●       It is expensive

CONCLUSION

Field Trip and excursions plays a vital role in the education system, offering numerous benefits and opportunities for students.  It offers academic benefits, social emotional benefits, personal growth benefits and creative and innovative benefits.  By embracing field trips and excursions, educators can create transformative learning experiences that prepare students for success in an ever- changing world.