Project-based field teaching: blending desktop research with first hand encounters

Often for a variety of pragmatic reasons, within undergraduate programmes quantitative and qualitative research techniques are commonly taught in isolation from one another. Siloed within different courses, practicals or assessments, students are rarely offered an opportunity to explore how blending different types of data can help inform and enrich our understanding of an issue. This chapter reflects on a field project designed to offer second year undergraduates an opportunity to: blend quantitative spatial data with a variety of forms of qualitative data; and combine desktop research with close personal encounters in the field. The project was scaffolded across 5 weeks of classroom- based activities and 2 days of fieldwork.