Case Study on Geoscience Teaching Innovation: Using 3D Printing to Develop Structural Interpretation Skill in Higher Education Levels

Piyaphong Chenrai

doi:10.3389/feart.2020.590062

Abstract

Applying three-dimensional (3D) printing technology to a geoscience classroom provides an alternative way to teach students. This brief report describes an educational innovation for the geoscience classroom by 3D printing technology to develop structural interpretation skill in high education level in Thailand. In comparison to traditional classrooms, this teaching method enables students to more easily comprehend how geological structures and features occur in nature through a project-based learning in seismic interpretation course. 3D printing models are constructed based on student interpretation through three different software packages. The observations in this study indicate that the ability to create the 3D models based on digital seismic data can enhance structural interpretation skill of students. The benefit of freely orientating and viewing in different angles of the 3D models leads to a construction of cognitive abstract space and spatial visualization ability. Therefore, 3D printing technology plays an important role in changing and developing the geoscience education system in Thailand at present and in the future. This teaching method could potentially benefit any science classroom and have applications in other disciplines requiring similar skill.

Highlights

In traditional geoscience education, learning activities include lectures by teacher, assigned textbook reading, laboratory exercises, or classroom discussion
The aim of the current study is to investigate the potential of 3D printing in the development of structural interpretation skills in students who are at high education level and in supporting innovative ways of geoscience education through project-based teaching
Every lecture was followed by an exercise, in which the students were asked to interpret seismic data as a project

Summary

Introduction

In traditional geoscience education, learning activities include lectures by teacher, assigned textbook reading, laboratory exercises, or classroom discussion. The teaching and learning of structural interpretation improve just the student ability to visualize structures in space and the spatial distribution of rock layers based on geological data (Carneiro et al, 2018). Must use their knowledge and spatial visualization skill in the interpretation of data to propose a structural concept model.

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Conclusion