Intercultural Experiential Learning: Integrated Geography Field Courses for Undergraduates in Arts and Humanities in Spain

Abstract

Fieldwork is an irreplaceable tool for acquiring first-hand real-world knowledge. Extensively used in Geography, its use is not so prominent in other disciplines within the field of knowledge of arts and humanities. We present the multidisciplinary experiential and integrated human-physical undergraduate geography curriculum in Spain. During the fall 2019 semester, 190 first-year humanities undergraduate students from different cultures and countries of origin enrolled a 3-months integrated human-physical geography field course as part of a major geography curriculum at the University of Oviedo. Between October and December, each student attended eight 1-h field preparation lectures and two 4-h field sessions around different geographical areas of Oviedo. As evaluation means, the faculty members used a three-folded assessment modality. In addition to active participation before and during the field sessions, the post-trip elaboration of an individual piece of handmade cartography was required for each student to pass the field course. 82% of enrolled students completed the field course. Regardless of discipline, the students evaluated this learning modality as stimulating and enriching as it promotes active learning and intercultural sociability outside the classroom.