Icelandic glaciers research fieldwork
This is a gallery about Icelandic glaciers research fieldwork and contains 15 images.
category: blog
2,500 km with the Schuberth E1
Due to change of job I am in the happy position to be able to commute more often by motorcycle than has been the case for the last few years, so I finally decided to buy a new crash helmet to replace my 1998 vintage Nolan N81. I had been contemplating the …
Environmental cost of fieldwork
Students and teachers alike are concerned for the environment, but the environmental cost of fieldwork is a seldom discussed and uncomfortable irony. Following a rare discussion on the subject with colleagues during a research field trip I decided to investigate to see if we can make more informed choices when planning and …
Australian biocrusts
This is a gallery about Australian biocrusts and contains 13 images.
What shall we do today?
As a biologist, I regard teaching and learning as innate natural abilities, so I question the value of pedagogical tinkering. Should I engage deeply with the latest teaching and learning research, or should I reject it and rely on instincts, which have been through millions of years of evolutionary testing? Forget the rules, and learn from …
Educational value of fieldwork
Some of my school peers selected Geography A-level at least in part because of the fieldwork opportunities, and they selected university courses on the same criteria, seeking courses with the best holiday opportunities. What can be done to ensure that fieldwork is highly educational for all participants, including those lacking motivation to learn? I …
Enough is enough
I recently gave three research presentations on a broadly similar topic, and to different audiences. As I reflected on each presentation I identified two main concerns that are intrinsically linked: How much to present Keeping to time I wanted to use my experience and the literature to improve these aspects of …
Organised reflection
Keeping a reflective record of teaching activities can help improve practice over time (e.g. Finlay 2008). I previously found this to be of marginal value partly because I have rarely gone back to read my old reflections. One reason for this is not knowing how and where to store the notes, and not remembering how …
Creating a 3D Print global research community
A case study on my use of 3D printing in environmental research: http://drelliott.net/downloads/outputs/2015-03-20%20Open%20Science%203DP%20Case%20Study.pdf Thanks to Lisa Burns for putting this together.
Soil microbiology interview for British Science Week
MMU Engage interviewed me for British Science Week to find out about the research being done at MMU by various researchers. In the video I explain how we extracted DNA from the sand of the Kalahari in Botswana, which we then used to identify the microbial communities that glue the …