A Level Geography Field Study Courses                

Geography on the Isle of Wight

The Medina Valley Centre offers field study courses that take in the excellent case studies found on the Isle of Wight. Real data can be collected and analysed by students, with support from experienced field study tutors and crucial secondary data sources.

The Isle of Wight is developing and has many contempory issues relevant to the A Level geography student, including:

• Assessing renewable energy generation potential
• The rapid expansion of housing
• Climate change demanding coastal management
• Regeneration of urban & rural communities
• Flooding and management of river catchments

The Isle of Wight's varied geology contributing to a diverse and spectacular landscape which is protected by a raft of European and National conservation designations makes it the ideal venue for A Level fieldwork.

• Take a fresh look at geography on the IOW

All field study sites are within a 30 minute drive from the Medina Valley Centre, or within walking distance.

Our field study tutors are active in their own research and have a good local knowledge of the Isle of Wight. Along with the online resources for visiting students, long term data sets have been established over the years and an extensive library has been developed.

Our geography field study courses meet the requirements for the new specifications of all the main syllabuses. Please view our sample programmes (in box) and contact us for an informal discussion about the courses we offer. Tel: 01983 522195, Email: info@medinavalleycentre.org.uk

Some of the options recommended for A Level geography fieldwork are listed below:

Coastal Processes and Coastal Management
 
The coastal zone of the Isle of Wight includes stretches of managed and unmanaged  coast, soft and hard cliffs, estuaries and coastal landslips. Hard and soft engineering schemes protect the predominantly coastal settlements offering quality coastal management case studies.

• Coastal management on the Isle of Wight 

Landslide Activity and Coastal Road Case Study

Major conflicts have arisen since landslide activity has caused the closure of a major coast road. Students consider the conflicts and the options for re-routing the road.

Urban-Rural Fringe

The Medina Valley Centre is situated on Newport's urban-rural fringe along side the Medina estuary. Newport is a compact urban settlement with development pressures on the urban-rural fringe, which provide exceptional geographical case studies.

Estuarine Ecosystem

The Medina Valley Centre is located on the Medina estuary allowing easy access for students to study the ecosystem and the conflicts that arise as a result of the different stakeholders.

Sustainable Tourism

The pressures for development arising from the Isle of Wight's tourist industry, with an emphasis on Green and Sustainable Tourism, provide further geographical decision-making exercises and case studies.

Woodland, Rivers, Sand dunes, Saltmarsh

The Medina Valley Centre has access to woodland, rivers, sand dunes and salt marshes allowing a hands-on approach to biogeographical investigation.

Wind Farm Case Study

Students consider the conflicts that arise when siting a wind farm within or adjacent to the Isle of Wight's Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

• Fieldwork and the Edexcel GCE AS specification

Fieldwork and the Edexcel GCE AS specification

There is a statutory and curriculum requirement that all pupils of A Level Geography undertake fieldwork, including research outside the classroom.

Coursework has been removed from the specification but fieldwork is now core and therefore essential to each topic in Unit 2 Geographical Investigations. The board states that 'engagement and connection with the out-of-doors is very important and should be encouraged at all opportunities' (Edexcel Geography Teachers' Guide, 2007).

Exciting fieldwork programmes have been refined for the 2010/2011 academic year for the AS Unit 2 topics Crowded Coasts, Extreme Weather, Re-branding Places and Unequal spaces.

Fieldwork will include data collection for displaying, manipulating and analysing on base maps loaded onto a GIS programme. 

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