Keywords

Instructional Design, Archaeology, Field School, Online Learning, Preparation Course

Description

The purpose of this project was to prepare students who will participate in an archeological excavation in Ataruz, Jordan. Typically, the directors invite anywhere from five to eight BYU students to go on the excavation, which takes place in July during the summer term of Brigham Young University. The client for the project is a professor in the Ancient Scripture Department at Brigham Young University and a co-director of the dig. Normally, the students who participate have had no experience or formal training in archeological fieldwork. The time to work on the excavation is usually limited to two to four weeks. Time is limited and students need to quickly learn and adjust to their responsibilities and required procedures in order to optimize the progress that can be made in a single season of fieldwork. The sponsor for the project wanted students to feel more confident about their ability to perform their responsibilities going into the experience. While the primary concern of the director was for students to be able to perform their responsibilities on the dig, the director was also interested in helping students to have a meaningful spiritual experience, facilitating positive group dynamics, and improving students’ understanding of the historical context for the site.

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