Interesting issue as we all send strudents out to do project work.
Over the past few years I've been putting together a bunch of
information on UK (chiefly) field practices and issues (under the guise
of the UK's Learning and Teaching Support Network). Publication has
stalled somewhat. I'll try to get something onto a website ... but....
I'm off to start a bunch of UG students on their dissertation work in
the french alps (tomorrow).
The basic message from talking through the UK is that there's a whole
range of different practices in play, from lone working (even
completely alone), through buddy systems, evening-meeting support
groups (with lone work in the day), through to group-based camps.
There is certainly no common ground. Clearly training needs to be
appropriate to which ever system is in operation but different
universities (especially through the legal advice they take) have
different restrictions.
In this regard it's worth reading Joe Cann's piece in Geoscientist a
few issues back.
But we do need to be careful because in this current risk-averse
climate when you ask lawyers whether we should do something, they'll
generally say no way! And once we get that advice our employers will
require us to act on it.
Good luck Paul - and everyone else.
Rob
On 11 May 2005, at 13:46, John Whalley wrote:
> Paul (and any other interested parties)
>
> This exact same question came up at the CHUGD meeting on
> Monday, prompted by Prof Davidson from Durham where they are
> proposing to return to allowing solo work for undergrads after a period
> of insisting on pairs. A straw poll of the, roughly, 20 UK Departments
> who were represented at the meeting showed a 50:50 split in the
> practice followed.
>
> At Portsmouth we do allow solo work but only after the risk
> assessment, undertaken by all students prior to project work, has
> demonstrated to our satisfaction that the student has procedures in
> place to ensure safety including daily checks, most commonly in the
> form of a "buddy" system.
>
> Cheers
>
> John
>
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