Abstract:

In anyone, learning happens through its interaction with their surroundings understood as a set of biophysical as well as political, social, economic and cultural elements, relations among them and all kinds of influences. Thus the milieu or the landscape as an object of study is a highly valuable teaching resource since it brings us multiple physical and social phenomena susceptible to being observed and analysed. Besides, the study of the environment is a highly motivating activity. From the pedagogical point of view, the surrounding environment can be used as an observation, testing, experimentation or research laboratory. Therefore, the scheduling of field-trips within the different subjects of geography (Urban Geography, Economic Geography, and Landscape analysis and assessment) provides essential support to teaching and may even be seen as opportunities improving learning. Besides, outdoor learning provides students with an opportunity to experience the real world. Place-consciousness means understanding how our communities and regions work and allow promoting the significance of the local areas in a global context. In that sense, place-based learning can serve as a primary source for a socially relevant pedagogy and promotes a more effective awareness of the concept of social justice and sustainability. This paper attempts to introduce several activities developed in three subjects of the Degree of Geography and Land Planning at the University of the Basque Country in which we use field trips as an instructive tool. Drawing on local surroundings as a source of learning activities, we help students to understand the physical and social phenomena that underlie any social and natural system. For all this, the main objective of this communication is to report these three experiences developed in the subjects of Economic Geography, Urban Geography and Landscape analysis and Assessment and to share the benefits that place-based learning can bring to a more enjoyable and significant learning process.

Keywords:

Place-based learning, active methodology, field-trips, geography.