OCR AS/A Level GCE 2016 Geography Fieldwork
OCR AS Level | Landscape and Place | Geographical Debates |
---|---|---|
Weighting | 55% | 45% |
Marks | 82 | 68 |
Key areas of Content |
|
|
Optionality | Options within Landscape Systems | Optionality: choose any 1 of 5 |
Skills | Topic-specific | |
Fieldwork | Fieldwork skills assessed with questions within Landscape and Place examination | |
Synopticity | Synoptic questions in Section B | |
Question styles | Short answer, extended response, essay questions | Short answer, extended response, essay questions |
OCR A Level Component | Physical Systems | Human Interactions | Geographical Debates | Investigative Geography |
---|---|---|---|---|
Weighting | 22% | 22% | 36% | 20% |
Marks | 66 | 66 | 108 | 60 |
Key areas of Content |
|
|
|
From any unit |
Optionality | Options within Landscape Systems | Options within Global Connections | Choose any 2 of 5 | |
Skills | Topic-specific | Topic-specific | Fieldwork skills | |
Synopticity | Synoptic questions in Section B | Embedded within assessment | ||
Question styles | Short answer, extended response, essay questions | Short answer, extended response, essay questions | Extended response, essay questions | Project 3000-4000 words |
Our field studies for the new OCR 2016 AS and A Level GCE Geography courses cover the Fieldwork and Geographical skills, including data manipulation and statistics, that students need. We support students in the development of their Independent Enquiry Question, choice of methodology and the carrying out of their Primary Data collection. Students will be provided with links to secondary data, including census information, newspaper articles and local websites and blogs.
We provide schools in advance with:
- a fieldwork methodology student 'tool kit' of sampling and statistical methods and example worksheets tailored to our range of field studies
- detailed background to our studies
- links to census data and other relevant research material
- a list of the syllabus themes that link to the studies.
A typical A Level group will undertake 2/3 human and physical studies that lend themselves to a wide range of hypotheses linked to the syllabus themes. Students then develop their own Individual Investigation titles.
OCR AS level (H081)
Fieldwork skills will be assessed within Landscape and Place and are embedded within the examination assessment. The specific elements of fieldwork which are required within AS Level Geography are outlined in the Fieldwork Skills tab.
Students will use a variety of relevant quantitative, qualitative and fieldwork skills to:
- investigate geographical questions and issues
- interpret, analyse and evaluate data and evidence
- construct arguments and draw conclusions.
Fieldwork is required to be undertaken for at least 2 days including both human and physical geography.
OCR A Level (H481)
Assessment of fieldwork skills will be within the Investigative Geography component only. The specific elements of fieldwork which are required within A Level Geography are outlined in the Fieldwork Skills tab.
Students will use a variety of relevant quantitative, qualitative and fieldwork skills to:
- investigate geographical questions and issues
- interpret, analyse and evaluate data and evidence
- construct arguments and draw conclusions.
Fieldwork is required to be undertaken for at least 4 days including both human and physical geography.
The descriptions in the table below specify the level of independence required by students at different stages of their investigation.
Investigation stage | Level of independence | In Practice |
---|---|---|
Exploring focus | Collaboration allowed. Students may discuss together, and with their teacher, ideas and research for appropriate geographical questions. | Students have a free choice of investigations focusing on any of the compulsory or optional content and they may be provided with a range of themes. |
Title of the investigation, focus of investigation (sub-questions), purpose of investigation. | Independent work | Students must provide a clear justification and contextualisation of how their enquiry will help them to address their title and explore their theme. |
Devising methodology and sampling framework | Collaboration allowed | Students may collaborate when planning and selecting methodologies / sampling strategies |
Primary data collection | Collaboration allowed | Primary data collection may be carried out individually or in groups. |
Secondary data collection | Independent work | Students select secondary sources of data on their own. |
Data/information presentation | Independent work | Students select and use appropriate data presentation methods on their own. |
Data analysis and explanation | Independent work | Students select and use appropriate data analysis techniques and independently interpret and analyse the results. |
Conclusions and evaluation | Independent work | Students evaluate the findings of their investigation and reach a balanced and supported conclusion on their own. |
OCR AS Level Geography requires learners to:
a) identify appropriate field research questions, based on their knowledge and
understanding of relevant aspects of physical and human geography
b) understand how to observe and record phenomena in the field and be able to
devise and justify practical approaches taken in the field, (including
frequency/timing of observation, sampling, and data collection approaches)
c) demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how to undertake practical field
methodologies appropriate to the investigation of core human and physical
processes
d) demonstrate knowledge and understanding of implementing chosen methodologies
to collect data/information of good quality that is relevant to the topic under
investigation
e) apply existing knowledge and concepts to identify, order and understand field
observations
f) show the ability to write a coherent analysis of fieldwork findings and
results in order to answer a specific geographical question and to justify
conclusions
g) evaluate and reflect on fieldwork investigations.
OCR A Level Geography requires learners to:
a) define the research questions which underpin field investigations
b) research relevant literature sources and understand and write up the
theoretical or comparative context for a research question
c) observe and record phenomena in the field and devise and justify practical
approaches taken in the field including frequency/timing of observation,
sampling, and data collection approaches
d) demonstrate practical knowledge and understanding of appropriate field
methodologies
e) implement chosen methodologies to collect data/information of good quality
and relevant to the topic under investigation
f) demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the techniques appropriate for
analysing field data and information and for representing results, and show
ability to select suitable quantitative or qualitative approaches and to apply
them
g) demonstrate the ability to interrogate and critically examine field data in
order to comment on its accuracy and/or the extent to which it is
representative, and use the experience to extend geographical understanding
h) apply existing knowledge, theory and concepts to order and understand field
observations
i) show the ability to write up field results clearly and logically, using a
range of presentation methods
j) evaluate and reflect on fieldwork investigations, explain how the results
relate to the wider context and show an understanding of the ethical dimensions
of field research
k) demonstrate the ability to write a coherent analysis of fieldwork findings in
order to answer a specific geographical question and to do this drawing
effectively on evidence and theory to make a well-argued case.
OCR A Level Geography Independent Investigation Option A
OCR A Level Geography Independent Investigation Option B
OCR FIELD STUDY OPTIONS | STUDY LOCATION | SPECIFICATION THEMES |
---|---|---|
Coastal Landscapes | ||
Coastal landscapes | Sitges | The formation of distinctive coastal landforms of erosion and deposition. |
Coastal landforms | Sitges | Case studies of one high energy coastline and one low energy coastline to illustrate the physical factors which influence the formation of landforms within the landscape system and the inter-relationship of a range of landforms within the characteristic landscape system. |
Coastal management strategies | Sitges | Case study of one coastal landscape that is being managed,
including:
|
Beach morphology | Sitges | The effect of coastal management in changing coastal landforms, such as changes in beach profiles |
Sediment budgets | Sitges | The impacts of coastal management on processes and flows of material and/or energy through the coastal system, such as their effect on the sediment budget |
Coastal development impact | Sitges | Case study of one coastal landscape that is being used by people
to illustrate:
|
Glaciated Landscapes | ||
Study under development | Pyrenees | Case study of a landscape associated with the action of valley glaciers. |
Dryland Landscapes | ||
Study under development | Tabernas desert, Almería | The physical factors which influence the formation of landforms within the dryland landscape system. |
Earth's Life support Systems | ||
Carbon sequestration | Mas Mel, Calafell | The processes of the carbon cycle, including natural sequestration in vegetation. |
Changing Spaces, Making Places | ||
To what extent do the place profiles of two inner city areas differ? | El Raval and 22@ New Technologies District, Barcelona. | Demographic, socio-economic, cultural, political, built and natural environment characteristics of two contrasting local areas. |
The impact of shifting flows on two contrasting inner city districts | El Raval and 22@ New Technologies District, Barcelona | How shifting flows of people, resources, money and investment and ideas (such as knowledge economy) have helped shape the demographic, socio-economic and cultural profile of these places over time. |
Impact of de-industrialisation | 22@ New Technologies District | Processes of economic change can create opportunities for some while creating and exacerbating social inequality for others. |
Social inequality | Barcelona | Case studies of two contrasting places to illustrate:
|
Urban rebranding | El Raval, Barcelona | Case study of one place that has undergone rebranding,
including:
|
Rural rebranding | Priorat | Case study of one place that has undergone rebranding,
including:
|
Hazardous Earth | ||
Volcanic landforms and landscapes | Garrotxa | Different types of volcanoes to investigate their causes and
features including:
|
Earthquake landforms and landscapes | Garrotxa |
|
AQA AS/A Level GCE 2016 Geography Fieldwork
Edexcel AS/A Level GCE 2016 Geography Fieldwork
Edexcel International AS/A Level 2016 Geography Fieldwork
WJEC AS/A Level GCE 2016 Geography Fieldwork
AS/A Level GCE 2016 Syllabus Comparisons