Costa Rica Research Project

MIST logoStudents from the Outdoor Adventure Naturalist (ODAN) and Outdoor Adventure (ODA) programs led Algonquin College’s inaugural International Multidisciplinary Applied Research project. As a key part of their Rainforest Ecology course, which included a trip to beautiful Costa Rica, six students from the Pembroke campus investigated the use of emerging mobile hand-held technologies for the collection and production of digital marketing media and educational materials.

The project was funded through Algonquin’s Office of Applied Research and Innovation with a focus on creating greater awareness of sustainable tourism and broader access to learning opportunities for students and other travellers. The initiative was delivered in partnership with two tourism companies; Rios Tropicales from Costa Rica and locally run travel agency, Marlin Travel. Students were supported by Professor Chris Melmoth and Technologist Cam Dube throughout the project.

student in Costa Rica

The project, entitled Marketing International Sustainable Tourism or MIST, produced thousands of photos, several hours of video and used a variety of apps which assisted students in the collection of the content, in the identification of flora and fauna, and in the development of interactive digital trip journals.

The materials are now being used by both students and their industry partners for the development of marketing and outreach products and are aimed to promote business and education in the area of sustainable tourism.

Outdoor Adventure Naturalist (ODAN) student lead, Lena Kharybina, is shown holding one of the technologies used–the Apple iPad. Participants also experimented with the new Samsung Galaxy to enable some comparison among technologies. Waterproof cases were also purchased to allow the use of the devices in more extreme environments.

Lena was supported by her other ODAN colleagues Johnathon Hiscock, Katarina Pavlica and their Outdoor Adventure (ODA) program partners Paul Dumont, Paige Feltham, and Nic Kannegieter.

To see the MIST poster the students developed, click here.

For more information about the International Multidisciplinary Applied Research project, contact:

Chris Melmoth, Professor
Outdoor Adventure Program
613-735-4700, Ext. 2880

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