A walk to remember

18 July 2013

Help needed for research project

A University of Hertfordshire lecturer has used multimedia to enhance the navigation of a country walk in Ellenbrook Fields, Hatfield, as part of a research project.

Fonewalks

Peter Thomas, the author of the walk and Mass Communications Programme Tutor within the School of Humanities at the University, has created a website (www.fonewalks.net) where participants can familiarise themselves with the former Hatfield Aerodrome.

They can also learn about the history of the area, as well as gaining an understanding of Google Maps. Photos, videos and directions are also available with a podcast to download, telling the story of the former airfield to accompany the walk.
 

Use of multimedia

The research project is to investigate how the use of multimedia can enhance the successful navigation of a short country walk, as Peter believes learning how to navigate is about using a combination of tools interactively.
 
Peter explained: “This is a great opportunity for the walking community and local residents to become aware of their surroundings in a new interactive way. I want people to use the resources on the website to navigate the route and report back about their experiences. Participants can then help me with my research by following the four easy steps online.”
 

The walk

The walk begins from the bus shelter just behind the Herts Sports Village on the de Havilland Campus of the University. The walk is 2.6 miles in length and is over unchallenging terrain, taking one hour to complete.

To take part in this exercise, please visit www.fonewalks.net or for more information, please contact Peter on 07544 097734 or email p.thomas@herts.ac.uk.