Expeditions

RHEI expeditions are organized within the study process and scientific work. Students and lecturers participate in ecological, geographical and folklore expeditions. Sometimes there are also organized archaeological, oral history, tourism and museum visiting practice and expeditions.

Ecological Expeditions for students of environmental engineering programme have been organized since 1997.

The main goal of the ecological expedition of environmental engineering program is to carry out a complex research on environmental quality in the surveyed area and to teach students to apply research methods of environmental quality in the conditions of field studies.

Each year 20–25 students, 5–6 lecturers and researchers participate in the expedition:

http://studija.ru.lv/categories.php?cat_id=373&sessionid=d38020270e0c2c16cbf055f99a640742

Expedition tasks:

  1. to master skills to be able to use scientific equipment and measuring devices and to acquire the methods of analysis in the conditions of field studies.
  2. to determine the quality indicators of water, soil and air in the surveyed area.
  3. to take hydrometric measurements of water bodies, determining the depth of lakes and rivers, stream velocity, and creating the river’s elevation.
  4. to make notes about expedition and take photos  and make video materials of the landscape of the surveyed territory.
  5. to reflect in detail the observations of the expedition and environment in observation logbook.
  6. to master the rowing technique, to learn to sail the boat and sometimes navigate it in extreme conditions, fully accomplishing the planned route.
  7. to learn to live in close contact with nature in an environmentally friendly way.
  8. to acquire the skills to work in a team.

The most important results of the expedition are used in the development of students and faculty lecturers’ research work, enabling to track the changes in environmental quality and landscape transformation of the surveyed areas and basins.

Folklore expeditions are organized for students of philology programs (since 2002), but sometimes students of history and law programs take part in these expeditions, too.

The main goal of the folklore expedition is to facilitate the use of the methods of folklore collection, recording, systematization and analysis in practice, to promote the preservation and promotion of folklore among youth.

Each year 20–25 students, 5 lecturers and researchers participate in the expedition; folklore specialists are also invited to take part (in cooperation with NGOs: the Association “Tautas muzikantu biedrība”, “ESTO”, local folklore groups and ensembles). Folklore expeditions are reflected in the photo gallery: http://studija.ru.lv/categories.php?cat_id=369

The most important results of the expedition are used in the development of students and faculty lecturers’ research work. In one expedition there are usually collected on average~ 1000 units of different folklore genres.

Since 2005 folklore materials have been entered on RHEI website http://folklora.ru.lv, offering researchers topical contemporary folklore materials and making it possible to study folklore continuity tradition.

Since 2009 there have been issued DVDs – bilingual cognition and educational materials (authors: Šuplinska I., Justs M.):

„Cyblys meiklis” (2009). Presentation: http://studija.ru.lv/categories.php?cat_id=269

„Aulejis anekdoti” (2010). Presentation: http://studija.ru.lv/categories.php?cat_id=284

„Ondrupinis roksti” (2011)

„Kaunatys vītu vuordu stuosti” (2013)

 

Since September 2007 geographic expeditions have been organized for students of geography and social pedagogue program.

The main goal of geographical expedition of geography and social pedagogue program is to implement practical classes within the framework of the study course “Basics of Physical Geography”. In the expedition students improve their knowledge of nature of Latvia and regional geography, learn about various natural territorial complexes and landscapes, and observe anthropogenic effects in natural environment.

Feelings of patriotism and positive emotional attitude towards native county and its nature are promoted while students are getting acquainted with the richness and diversity of the landscape of Latvia.

Every year 8–15 students, 4 lecturers and researchers participate in the expedition.

The most important results of the expedition are used in the development of students’ research work, as well as implementing environmental research methods and environmental education principles in pedagogical practice.