Field trips related to the subject at hand
There are subjects that we teach in our Veterinary Technology course that are difficult to translate into a lab for hands on learning at our campus. One example is the subject "Large Animal Medicine". It is physically impossible to bring cows to the campus for students to work on. In these cases we have a contract with an outside facility where the students are able to interact with the animals. They are each given specific tasks that they must complete in order be signed off for the field trip.
Brenda,
Great example of the "necessity" of field trips. Even when they are not absolutely needed field trips can be a vey helpful activity that opens student eyes and minds to thoughts and/or information they may not ever experience, short of the field trip. Also they can be motivational, getting some students to buckle down, or inspirational, challenging good students to do even better.
Barry Westling
