What are the advantages to our communities of offering a field study program?

Why do so
many instructional disciplines and areas offer some type of field or practical experience (Art,
Photography, Forestry, Biology, Geology, Geography, Physics, Physical Education, Ecology,
Astronomy, Botany, History, Agriculture, Zoology, Political Science, Environmental
Horticulture, English, etc.)?
Why do departments at colleges and universities offer field experiences in addition to
laboratory and classroom instruction? Why should you become involved, participate and
contribute to Sierra College's Field Study programs?
The field programs provide an opportunity to apply previous knowledge, view real
examples set in a worldly framework, and opportunity to be involved, physically, with real
situations in the field. All of this promotes a deeper understanding of the subject being
studied and an improved ability to recall the information and experiences, later, as needed.
Real learning opportunities
It is understood by all educational disciplines and potential employers that personal
experiences gained by working with "real" world activities and in "real" settings enhance
and improve learning, increasing understanding and knowledge. Since activities in the field
are never limited to one discipline or aspect, they will always broaden awareness and
emphasize connections between ideas and practical realities. Practical experiences are
invaluable and the fact that Sierra College has always been a outstanding educational leader
in higher education is largely due to its long standing commitment to providing real, handson, learning opportunities for its students.
To the sciences and other disciplines (academic and vocational), the field study
programs provide our students with that opportunity to become "personally" involved in
their learning through these practical field applications and hand-on experiences. You would
not expect to develop excellent athletes or skilled carpenters or fluent writers or
accomplished mathematicians without including opportunities in their education that allow
them to practice, apply principles and perfect their skills. Stand-alone field study classes
and field trips within a classroom course provide valuable experiences that serious students
within these disciplines should not be either denied or missed.
They are offered by Sierra College for the same reasons that we offer any laboratory
sessions or learning opportunities. We should continue to encourage our students at Sierra
College to become directly involved and participants in their own education. It is our
responsibility to provide and facilitate the best learning experiences possible. Frankly, one of
Sierra College's outstanding strengths, in the past and now, is our continuing commitment
to our students, providing them with practical experiences in addition to theoretical
exposures, in their chosen fields. Our students graduate and/or transfer knowing "how to do
it" as well as being able to "describe all about it".

See, share and understand

Field studies and field activities give the students a chance to see the world (its cultures,
diversity and realities) for themselves. As they work as a group, they share what they are
experiencing with the others. Instead of simply watching an image on the screen or
listening to the experiences of others, they are personally experiencing the environment,
interacting with it directly, engaged in the activities at the site, working with the processes
to be studied, and observing first hand the learning that each new location can provide.
Seeing life and the world first-hand promotes a clearer understanding of world, its
workings and relationships. It reinforces previous classroom lessons and brings a higher
level of "realism" and "believing". How would one understand or be expected to understand
without being exposed directly to the manifestations of concepts and ideas. Only by being
immersed within an environment or practical activity can one "feel" its importance, its
impacts, and its dynamics with your senses of touch, hearing, smell and sight. As a living
and thinking organism, one uses their senses to make comparisons, discover similarities
and differences and to observe the specific relationships in the world.
The outdoor classroom
Often similar to controlled laboratory activities, field work (less controllable) provides our
students with more time to focus, think, study and learn about new ideas as they present
themselves and to witness specific examples in the context of their interdisciplinary
realities. Often more than the four walls of a classroom, the outdoor classroom is more
enjoyable, beautiful, inspiring, stimulating and relaxing (all at the same time), creating an
optimal learning environment. Students will learn, retaining the concepts, examples,
principals, and processes involved and coming away with a more in-depth understanding of
what they have seen and experienced.
The unique sharing environment created by working together in the field facilitates
increased learning and awareness beyond that most of us would attain if we were in the
same locations by ourselves. Many vacationing visitors think they "know" Yosemite, Muir
Woods or Death Valley, but participating in a structured field class provides the students
with much more because of special information resources, planned activities, guided
learning, increased sharing of observations. Field classes demonstrate and utilize the
benefits of teamwork combined with individualized learning.
Field classes benefits
Field classes bring us back full circle in education, conserving the best from the past for the
future, by "teaching class under the tree."
Field Experiences and Field Study classes provide(s):

Practical experiences real world knowledge about life

Real examples of information discussed in the classroom
Opportunities for sharing different perspectives and views on important topics
Locations to gather real ecological field data
Interactions from which you can discover your strengths, limitations, abilities and
skills
Integration of concepts and information from various disciplines
Personal exposure to peoples and other places, cultures, ecosystems through travel
Increased knowledge and broadened understanding of the world and its workings
Integration of introductory and advanced principles
The first exploratory course in a discipline for many students - open door courses
Professional experiences required by many related jobs
Extended laboratory experiences
Formation of instant learning communities
First-hand observations of human interactions with the environment
Places to learn and practice professional sampling and field collecting techniques
Illustrations of real world complexities
Application of theoretical or classroom knowledge to real situations
Critical thinking problems involving complex and current issues waiting to be solved
A chance to put one's life into a realistic perspective
Study of the Earth's global systems of interaction
Explorations in to the natural elements involved in change and stability within the
environment
Openings for students of all disciplines to come together
Opportunities for personalized learning
Appreciation for the natural world, its resources and history
Real subjects to study and to improve observational skills
Learn to live and work with others, supporting each other during group learning
activities
Direct exposure to museums, businesses, and other centers of learning
Increased access to current research, guest speakers, community programs and
special events
Teamwork activities that result in enhanced learning outcomes for all
Chance to work with diverse peoples focused on a common goal
Opportunities for personal growth, maturing of a person's perceptions and
perspectives
Appeal to students and community participants that would not otherwise become
involved
Increase writing and communication skills critical verbal and writing skills
Enjoyable learning experiences, and
Time to appreciate the beauty of the world in which we are involved.