Improving Real-World Impact From Research-Focussed Experiential Learning In Higher Education: A Call-To-Arms Centring On Field Ecological Monitoring

Research-focussed experiential learning (RFEL), where students develop academic research skills by participating in research activities, is a valuable and widespread component of higher education. It is also a potentially important source of research currency for academic staff in teaching-focussed universities. Numerous initiatives facilitate this practice in an extra-curricular capacity, whilst its integration into curricula is less widespread, but is gaining momentum. Nonetheless, real-world impact deriving from RFEL is not as visible as might be expected, and we argue that the RFEL paradigm has yet to achieve its full potential. We discuss how to overcome barriers to visibility and effective implementation of RFEL in terms of real-world outcomes, for our own discipline – ecology. A capacity gap exists, particularly at the local level, in effective ecological site monitoring for biodiversity conservation and other forms of environmental management. We believe there is currently underused potential in integrating RFEL via student field experience (field trips, field work, field classes, or field programmes) to fill this gap. We show how the parallel process of citizen science, where participating university students and others outside academia collect data as volunteers, lends insights and best practice recommendations to the field experience RFEL model. RFEL is critically important for upskilling students for competitive career markets. We outline five ways in which it can be galvanised to additionally and effectively yield real-world research and management outcomes, adding value within the sector.