Effective Use of Hands-On Activities, State-of-the-Art Technology, and Computers In Introductory Environmental Geology

Abstract

As part of a concerted effort to counter a dwindling number of both majors and students taking introductory courses in the Geosciences Department at Franklin and Marshall College, we initiated a new introductory course in environmental geology in 1990. Deliberate efforts to make hands-on activities play a major role in the course were critical to its success and effectiveness. These activities included: 1) in-class problem-solving sessions; 2) in-class debates; 3) in-class critical-thinking sessions (involving analysis of various interpretations of scientific data); 4) laboratory/computer exercises with the emphasis on examining models and developing quantitative reasoning skills; 5) field/laboratory exercises; and 6) an end-of-semester research project that culminated in a symposium with poster-session presentations. In all activities, we incorporated the use of state-of-the-art technologies, including remote sensing imagery, digital analytical equipment, and computer databases. The course has served to ...