Key Findings

• Across all of the courses surveyed, the overwhelming majority of students agreed or strongly agreed that ArcCollector was useful for collecting data in the field (85%; Appendix 1).  
• Two thirds agreed or strongly agreed that the data they collected on the app was useful for completing their final projects.

Key Recommendations

Recommendations to students 

• Focus on simple data collection (GPS points, geotagged photos, open text fields, and limited pre-coded notes). Reserve detailed note-taking for the field notebook. 
• Use the data stored in ArcCollector to sync to ArcGIS Online: allow the students to work with the wealth of data in the classroom especially with quantitative data. 
• Make sure your device, app, and maps work well before heading out into the field.  

Recommendations to staff and demonstrators 

• Prevent cognitive overload with simple training exercises and pre-field preparation (such as including one to two pre-loaded maps and a few editable feature classes) in advance of the field trip. Dedicate a lab session to familiarising students and staff with ArcCollector (i.e. downloading maps, collecting data, syncing data). Ensure that students download content to their devices and collect ‘dummy’ data prior to going into the field. 
• Provide a range of interdisciplinary GIS data to give context to the science. These datasets can also provide meaningful insights into ‘why geology matters’ by noting how geology directly influences surrounding vegetation and location of springs for example. Layers can be used to expand beyond the curriculum to include a broader cultural and historical context. 
• Provide useful hints to students about the mapping area, including hazards and routes to take through difficult terrain. Make use of ‘digital reminders’ to support learning objectives. 
• Encourage geotagged photo-taking as it greatly facilitates interaction with others on field-trips. 
• Consider the best system for creating, maintaining, and curating student accounts. Remind students how data stored on the device will be used – is it just for field reference or data analysis later on? How will it help them in assessments? 
• Encourage staff and students to use BYOD (requires buy-in from staff). Lecturers should model behaviour of using the app to discuss existing data and mapping strategies. 
• Make ‘WeBAD’ an option – device quality and preferences will vary widely among students. 
• The teaching team needs to be trained to deal with issues at a minimum and, ideally, actively using the system on field trips. Educators need to allow time, prior to the day of departure, to fix student and software errors.  
• If there are multiple streams of the same class being run, and students are using classroom accounts, consider how to manage data from the past stream – will someone manually delete all of the first stream’s data? If using the data after the field trip, having a group ‘syncing’ session with the GIS administrator is a useful way to identify and address syncing problems. 
• As the industry relies on technology like GPS for field work more, educators can consult employers to tailor content in the ArcCollector to make it more relevant for students.