Geography excursions with a smartphone app or a teacher
What works best
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11953701 |
|---|---|
| Authors | T T Favier (0000-0001-5566-3512, Utrecht University, corresponding author), Veronique Schutjens (0000-0002-8530-4542, Utrecht University), Veronique A J M Schutjens (Utrecht University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 49 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 470-495 |
| Publication date | 2025-04-29 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Geography in Higher Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0309-8265 • E-ISSN: 1466-1845 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/03098265.2025.2498018 |
| OpenAlex | W4409974016 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 35 |
Recent advancements in geospatial technologies enable geography students to explore outdoor phenomena independently, without teacher guidance. Several authors argue that smartphone apps can effectively replace the teacher in excursions, addressing challenges such as teachers' limited availability. However, empirical research comparing the actual and perceived learning outcomes of excursions with a smartphone app versus excursions with a teacher remains scarce. In our comparative study aimed at understanding learning outcomes and student preferences, first-year bachelor's students participated in two excursions of each type. The results from a retention test revealed that the excursions with the app resulted in lower learning outcomes, and students rated these excursions less favorably overall. Although the app offered flexibility in excursion planning and pacing, students missed the support for learning in the field, personal contact, and structure. Additionally, many students struggled with self-discipline in planning excursions and lacked motivation to engage seriously with the tasks without a teacher present, hindering their ability to effectively utilize the app's auto-feedback. Therefore, enhancing student self-regulation skills is key for maximizing the effectiveness of app-supported excursions
Geography · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Smartphone app · Sociology · World Wide Web · Computer Science · Geography and Education Methods · Geography Education and Pedagogy · Mobile Learning in Education · Psychology
A literature review
The potential of digital tools to enhance mathematics and science learning in secondary schools
End of the Field? Hacking Online and Hybrid Environments for Field-Based Learning in Geography Education
An Evaluation of Foreign Fieldwork in Promoting Deep Learning
Out of the Classroom and Into the City
Developing Mixed Methods Crossover Analysis Approaches
Expectation, motivation, engagement and ownership
Smartphone GIS
Tuning the field trip
Life without Fieldwork
Lost in the field
Becoming a Self-Regulated Learner
| Citations per year | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |