Breaking out of the traditional lecture hall: Geocaching as a tool for experiential learning in large geology service courses

Abstract

ABSTRACTIt is uncommon for large service courses in geology to provide engaging outdoor activities that effectively mimic the experiences of working geologists, despite the fact that field experiences are a well-established pathway for recruiting students to the geosciences. We address this problem by creating extra credit activities that are integrated and implemented within a geocaching framework to provide students with these outdoor, extracurricular learning experiences. Three extra credit implementation strategies were devised for each of three geology service courses. Students from two small and one large geology course independently completed geology lessons at each geocaching site via a Google Forms platform. Across 757 activities completed during the Fall 2016 semester, more than two-thirds of evaluations reported that the student enjoyed the activity and learned something, and almost half of evaluations indicated the student wanted to learn more about the topic. Participation rates were highest in students who were high achievers, women, and freshmen and sophomores, but did not vary much with respect to ethnicity, major, or traditional/contemporary student status. Designing a successful implementation strategy at other institutions is likely dependent on course goals and class size.