Geology Courses Research Articles

“Flipping” a Course: Is It Worth It? A Multiyear Analysis of Interactive and Student-Centered Pedagogy in an Introductory Physical Geology Course

“Flipping” a Course: Is It Worth It? A Multiyear Analysis of Interactive and Student-Centered Pedagogy in an Introductory Physical Geology Course

Evaluating the effectiveness of spatial training for introductory geology students

Abstract Spatial skills, which represent the ability to visualize and imagine manipulating objects in one’s mind, are necessary for success in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and are particularly relied upon by geoscientists. Although scholars recognize the importance of these skills, explicit training is inconsistently offered throughout courses. Furthermore, the relationship between spatial training and students’ perspectives on STEM fields is underexplored. To address this, we developed a case study that included over 700 students enrolled in introductory geology classes over three semesters. These students were randomly divided into control and experimental groups; the experimental group completed 10 spatial training assignments, and the control group completed the course as usual. We relied on situated expectancy-value theory to interpret changes in students’ perceptions of both the course and science overall, and asked the following research questions: (1) Do students who complete the spatial training assignments (i.e., the experimental group) have a statistically significant improvement in their final course grade, self-efficacy, and/or value when compared to the control group? (2) If so, what are the effect sizes of these changes? (3) Is there a minimum number of trainings that need to be completed to achieve this effect? (4) Is there a maximum number of spatial training assignments where we stop seeing improvement (ceiling effect)? We surveyed all students enrolled using 38-question pre- and post-assessments of their self-efficacy, defined as a belief in their ability to succeed, and value. We found that between the control and experimental groups, there were significant differences in students’ pre- to post-changes in perception of science self-efficacy, class self-efficacy, and class value. We found non-significant between-group differences in final grade and science value. We interpret this to mean that using weekly spatial training assignments could increase students’ perceived self-efficacy in their introductory geology course as well as in science more broadly, potentially having ripple effects that support students’ long-term engagement with the sciences. Findings suggest that practitioners should include explicit spatial training in their courses to improve students’ perceptions of the course and science overall. Building on this work may include describing to students the purpose of spatial training (which was deliberately avoided in this study) and outlining the research that supports the relationship between spatial skills and success in STEM fields. Future directions may also include longitudinal tracking of spatial and related skill development throughout students’ college careers.

“you just look at rocks, and have beards” Perceptions of Geology From the United Kingdom: A Qualitative Analysis From an Online Survey

In the last few decades, Geology courses, particularly in the Global North, have seen a decline in student enrolment. Geologists have linked this downturn to a lack of exposure to the subject at school and college level. This work seeks to understand the public’s relationship with Geology and draws on over 5,000 open-ended question responses to a survey disseminated in 2021. The survey asked both those who had, and had not, studied geology as a subject a series of questions in order to explore their perceptions of the discipline. Our findings indicate that individuals “outside” of geology see the subject as old fashioned, boring, and environmentally damaging; simply the study of rock samples with nothing new to be discovered from; and with poor job prospects outside of the oil and gas industry. Geologists who responded to the survey paint a picture of a broad, interdisciplinary subject, with vibrant employability opportunities—yet struggle to coherently and collectively describe this when asked, “what is geology?”. In addition to the identified perception of geology as boring, and notions of poor employability being a barrier to prospective students, diversity and inclusivity issues are highlighted as significant barriers by those who study geology. Our findings indicate that both geologists and the geology curriculum need to coherently describe what geology is more effectively. We need to develop and better communicate the subject’s interdisciplinary nature and links to critical societal issues, such as the role of responsible mineral extraction in the energy transition and the importance of geology in vital areas such as climate change science, water resource management, environmental conservation, and sustainable urban/built development. Finding new ways to show that, far from being boring, geology is a subject that can fundamentally change the way you see and interact with the world around you is of central importance to achieving this. Efforts to make the subject more equitable are also highlighted as being critical in creating a more inclusive and accessible discipline.

Exploration of the Construction of the Civic and Political Education in Engineering Geology Course

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the integration of the elements of civic and political education into theengineering geology course to improve students’ ideological and moral qualities. It is proposed that by integrating elements of civic and political education, students are guided to form a positive attitude toward engineering practice as well as correct values and ethics. With regard to the teaching design and implementation of the course, the implementation paths of teacher team building, careful teaching design, innovative teaching methods, and the integration of civic and politics in practical teaching are proposed to summarize the significance of integrating the elements of civic and political education in the construction of the engineering geology course. It is pointed out that this integration not only improves the quality of the course, but also provides a reference for the civic and political education of other similar professional courses. Thisintegration not only focuses on the teaching of professional knowledge, but also pays more attention to the cultivation of students’ ideology and morality, which provides a model and guidance for shaping new talents with all-round development.

Analysis of Cultural Geography Learning Concept Design Based on Case Method and Team-Based Project

Since the issuance of the Service of Instruction and Culture Proclaim No. 3/M /2021 in 2021 concerning Key Execution Pointers (IKU), where classroom learning will utilize one or a combination of the case strategy and project-based gather learning (team-based venture), which incorporates 50% in its assessment weight. Hence, this investigation pointed to plan learning concepts in political geology courses with a case strategy method and team-based venture within the Division of Geology Instruction, Workforce of Social Sciences, Medan State College. This inquiry about employment uses an expressive, subjective approach. The populace in this were all 454 understudies of the Division of Topography Instruction for the 2020-2022 year, and the test was 67 understudies. Information collection employs a survey (survey) disseminated to understudies through Google Shapes. This consideration demonstrates that executing case strategy and team-based project-based learning got a positive reaction from understudies. Based on the overview, 87% of understudies concurred that the schedule assignment task framework in papers was supplanted with dialogue learning by watching and analyzing various phenomena or issues within the environment or standard of living. Then, 76% of understudies concurred in case the assignments within the shape of CBR and CJR, and within the IQF learning framework were supplanted with the substance of hypothetical thinking in case of strategy reports and team-based projects. Selection of case strategies and team-based ventures carried out in bunches by groups by raising case considers that happen around or in the standard of living. Besides, the examination will be displayed and talked about in the course on the other hand.
 Keywords: geography learning, design, case method, team-based project

Supporting Student Learning and Understanding of Geoscience Using Virtual Reality and Video Demonstrations

We examined the impact of geoscience demonstration and virtual reality field trip videos on student assessment confidence, performance, and their overall attitudes towards learning geology using a mixed methods sequential explanatory design. Participants were 111 undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory geology course in one of four consecutive semester offerings. Repeated for 13 videos, students would watch a video of a demonstration or virtual field trip and answer select-response questions. Then during a later exam students answered questions specifically associated with the video content while also rating their answer confidence using a ten-point scale. Open-ended student comments were collected from a four-question survey at the end of each semester. Findings of student responses to four of the videos suggest that the use of the demonstration videos and virtual reality field trips had a positive impact on student learning of geological concepts. Qualitative findings affirmed the voice and personalization principles of the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning.

Changing habits of mind: A phenomenological view of how a computational geology course affected students’ geologic numeracy

A quantitative literacy course titled “Computational Geology” has been taught at the University of South Florida for over 20 years at the undergraduate level, largely by the same professor. Due to the extended course tenure, a unique opportunity presented itself to qualitatively study what the perceived broader impacts of the course were on selected alumni from three or more years post-graduation. Viewing data from a 2016 course alumni interview project through a transcendental phenomenological lens, we looked for evidence to describe the lived experiences of nine course alumni. The alumni were baccalaureate geology graduates of USF, at least three years removed from graduation at the time of interview, who had taken and passed the Computational Geology course, and been working in private, public, or academic sectors. We discovered that the course positively impacted students’ self-efficacy toward mathematics, nurtured a growing appreciation for using math as a tool to solve problems relevant to the students’ personal life and career, and motivated students to learn and appreciate quantitatively literate behaviors and how quantitative literacy applies to their personal and professional life. We assert that instructors who consider the affective domain (i.e., feelings, emotions, and attitudes) while teaching mathematics leverage a powerful approach to impact student learning and incite a long-lasting impact on students’ appreciation for quantitative literacy.

Strengthening geoscience educational pathways for underrepresented students from two-year to four-year institutions

An opportunity exists to attract students from historically underrepresented communities into the geosciences, the least diverse of the STEM fields. Home to a diverse population, Riverside County in Southern California supports several community colleges with thriving geoscience programs where students can take a range of geology courses in preparation for a geology major at 4-year universities. The Geoscientist Development (GEODE) Program is designed to recruit and retain students from underrepresented groups into geoscience majors and careers and increase students’ interest in transferring from a 2-year college to a 4-year college. In this study, we examined how participation in a 10-week paid research internship affected students’ interest in studying and pursuing a degree or career in geoscience. Combining quantitative analysis of Likert-style survey questions and thematic content analysis of open-ended questions, we determined that paid research internships positively impacted students’ interest in geoscience and increased their interest in transferring from their 2-year college to a 4-year university. The students reported benefits of new research skills, career preparation, and networking; they struggled with a lack of background knowledge and a lack of research time. These results demonstrate a promising way to strengthen geoscience educational pathways and increase diversity in the geosciences. This program can be implemented at other institutions by forming cross-campus relationships and with relatively small financial commitments.

Building an electronic educational program based on the Schuman investigative model in the developed Course of Geology and investigating its impact on developing critical thinking skills for 10th grade students in Jordan

Building an electronic educational program based on the Schuman investigative model in the developed Course of Geology and investigating its impact on developing critical thinking skills for 10th grade students in Jordan

Investigating the impact of a gamified learning analytics dashboard: Student experiences and academic achievement

AbstractBackgroundThe substantial growth in gamification research has connected gamified learning to enhanced engagement, improved performance, and greater motivation. Similar to gamification, personalized learning analytics dashboards can enhance student engagement.ObjectivesThis study explores the student experiences and academic achievements using a gamified dashboard in a large, introductory STEM course.MethodsWe examined two groups of students enrolled in different sections of a one‐semester‐long physical geology course with a total enrollment of 223 students. The only difference between the groups was that one had access to the dashboard. The data collection included students' assignments, overall performances, and exam scores. Students in both sections completed a Science Literacy Concept Inventory survey at the beginning and end of the term. Additionally, students completed an end‐of‐term survey containing open‐ended questions on their experience and interactions with specific elements.ResultsStudents shared mostly positive comments about their experience with the dashboard, and the final grade of students with access to the dashboard was 13% higher, on average, compared to their peers in the non‐dashboard section.ConclusionWith low costs and little time invested, gamified dashboards could have a significant impact on student performance in large STEM lecture courses.

Jack Dwayne Farmer April 18, 1947-February 22, 2023.

Jack Dwayne Farmer April 18, 1947-February 22, 2023.

College students’ prior knowledge and alternative conceptions regarding minerals

The mineral identification lab is typically the entry level college student’s initial hands-on introduction to minerals. Our research focused on identifying alternative mineralogy conceptions that students bring to an introductory geology course and investigating the origins and nature of these conceptions. We identified a number of alternative conceptions and to help make sense of these ideas we grouped them into four categories: (1) differences between minerals and rocks (e.g., they are the same), (2) mineral composition (e.g., lighter crystals contain more air), (3) where minerals form (e.g., caves), and (4) mineral surface features. The fourth category encompassed alternative conceptions based on immediately observable features and included six daughter categories: (1) mineral characteristics (e.g., all are smooth and crystal-like), (2) origin of planar surfaces (e.g., were cut), (3) sedimentary knowledge (e.g., minerals like mica are formed from layering), (4) mineral relations (e.g., minerals of similar shape are related), (5) environmental impacts (e.g., during formation sand was incorporated to turn the mineral orange), and (6) age of minerals (e.g., age can be determined by fragility). Further, we identified three main knowledge sources from which students construct alternative conceptions: (1) prior science courses, (2) outdoor activities, and (3) jewelry and solar and water impacts. Our research adds to previous work on the alternative conceptions held by novice earth science students. Students’ answers reflect how their knowledge can contribute to creating alternative conceptions.

Practical Discussion on the Teaching Strategy of Ideological and Political Education in Geology Courses

Practical Discussion on the Teaching Strategy of Ideological and Political Education in Geology Courses

Jonathan Zimmerman. The Amateur Hour: A History of College Teaching in America.

American academic life is highly professionalized, except when it comes to teaching. Years of rigorous graduate-school education are dedicated to learning methods of research and writing in the particular disciplines, but almost no time is dedicated to learning how to teach. After a year of graduate seminars in Berkeley in the late 1970s, I was set to work as a teacher of undergraduates with no preparation of any kind, an experience that was then normal. Professional advancement for more than a century now has come through publication in prestigious journals and presses, and almost never from distinguished teaching. Jonathan Zimmerman’s marvelous book The Amateur Hour: A History of College Teaching in America explains why and shows that centuries of effort to improve college teaching have almost always failed. Eighteenth-century students hated the old technique of recitation, which required them to learn passages by heart and recite them in class. It was stultifying and extremely boring. But the gradual shift to lectures in the nineteenth century did not bring a new dawn. Dull lectures from uncharismatic teachers were equally bad. Underpaid professors often had to work exceptionally long hours—future US president James Garfield, for example, as president of the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute, was forced to offer his geology course at five o’clock in the morning. Most students responded to uninspired teaching by cheating as much as possible, playing wicked pranks on their tutors, boycotting the most hated professors, and staging rebellions. Zimmerman mentions in passing Harvard students’ “Rotten Cabbage Rebellion” of 1807.

A Study on Effectiveness of Industrial Talk Approaches for Geology Course

An industrial talk program that includes participation and cooperation from the industry has been introduced in an endeavor to produce professional and competent engineers. The Diploma in Civil Engineering Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) student program has recommended the implementation of industrial talks and site visits. One of the course codes that has been designed with industry involvement is Geology (ECG253). The programme outcomes (PO7) component related to sustainability and the environment is the major focus of this course's industrial talk. In order to validate the suggested event has achieved the targeted POs, a survey was conducted to the student who attended this industrial talk. The purpose of the survey is to study the effectiveness of the industrial talk towards the advancement of knowledge of the students related to the exposure of the industry. A total number of 180 students took the survey, and a qualitative analysis was done. The outcome of this study showed that 97 percent of the student participated in the survey agreed that the industrial talk give a positive impact to the student development. It can be said that the implementation of the industrial talk to the students give a good impact to their lifelong learning experiences and nurture them on the preparation of work environment.

Investigating the Development of Team Science Skills and an Improved Understanding of Multidisciplinary Research through Parallel Courses in Biology, Geology, and Environmental Engineering

Collaborative teamwork is fundamental to successful research and is a desirable skill set for employers. Yet students receive little training in how to effectively work in teams. This article presents the preliminary design and implementation of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) in biology, geology, and environmental engineering in which student teams address questions related to their discipline while contributing to a shared research project. Team science training in communication, research planning, and conflict resolution was embedded into CURE classes at a regional R2 university. Although barriers to this approach were present, evidence in the form of writing prompt scores and team science products suggested student understanding of effective teams and the benefits of working with individuals within and across disciplines to solve complex problems increased.

Exploration and Research on Teaching Reform of Engineering Geology in Vocational Colleges

The engineering geology course is a professional basic course for the civil engineering specialty. Through the reform of the teaching method of the engineering geology course, this paper improves the students' enthusiasm and quality of learning the course, so that students can have a clearer understanding of the knowledge context of the engineering geology course, and truly understand and master the course in combination with engineering cases, recognize the constraints between disciplines, so as to better connect and integrate into the civil engineering specialty, Finally, it will improve students' professional knowledge, professional quality and employment competitiveness in the future.

Do Domain Knowledge and Retrieval Practice Predict Students' Study Order Decisions?

Learning complex concepts is necessary for student success, but it is often challenging. Learning such concepts can be influenced by students' study order choices during learning to switch to a new category (interleaved study order) or stay within the same category (blocked study order). Students often prefer stay decisions during learning and make relatively few switch decisions; however, an open question is whether students' switch decisions are related to their level of prior knowledge in the domain and the learning strategy they use (retrieval practice versus study). To examine these relationships, we recruited undergraduate students from an introductory geology course. Prior to the course modules on rock classification, students self-rated their knowledge, took a prior knowledge test, classified rock exemplars by completing study or retrieval practice trials, and made study order choices. Students then completed assignments and attended lectures in their geology course on igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. Next, students self-rated their knowledge, took a new prior knowledge test, completed study or retrieval practice trials, made study order decisions, took final classification tests, and self-reported beliefs about study order choices. Even though students' knowledge increased after course modules on rock identification, and most students believed that domain knowledge impacts study decisions, prior knowledge did not predict students' switch decisions. In contrast, students who completed retrieval practice trials made substantially more switch decisions (i.e., interleaved study) than did students who completed study trials.

Intentionally Addressing Equity in the Classroom: An Initial Look at Inclusive Practices in Major and Nonmajor Courses in Biology and Geology

Intentionally Addressing Equity in the Classroom: An Initial Look at Inclusive Practices in Major and Nonmajor Courses in Biology and Geology

Using the history of plate tectonics to teach the nature of science

ABSTRACT Current science education efforts emphasise the need to train students to understand the nature of scientific work. In geosciences, training students to understand how science works does not only promote their interest and community engagement in the field, but also has the potential to promote awareness and ethics. However, instructional activities using an explicit and reflective approach to promote students’ learning of the nature of science concepts remain scant. In this paper, a two-class unit intervention using an explicit reflective approach to the teaching of nature of science was used in an undergraduate lesson on the history of plate tectonics. We measured the influence of the lesson on students’ nature of science knowledge using the Student Understanding of Science and Scientific Inquiry instrument. We collected parallel quantitative and qualitative pre- and post-intervention data from 37 community college students involved in a physical geology course. Quantitative and qualitative data analysis indicated that students’ nature of science knowledge related to the tentativeness of scientific theories and the role of society and culture in science improved after the intervention unit. Results imply that geoscience educators should consider using explicit and reflective approaches when using the history of science to teach about the nature of science.