Geology Courses Research Articles

Re: The Use of a Knowledge Survey as an Indicator of Student Learning in an Introductory Biology Course

Re: The Use of a Knowledge Survey as an Indicator of Student Learning in an Introductory Biology Course

An Integrative Summer Field Course in Geology and Biology for K-12 Instructors and College and Continuing Education Students at Eastern Washington University and Beyond

For the last fifteen years, a small group of faculty members in the departments of geology and biology at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, WA have offered a seven to ten day interdisciplinary summer field course. The course is designed for college students, K-12 instructors, and for those seeking continuing education experiences. We have been successful in attracting students who take the course repeatedly and continue to draw a pool of new students by providing a different route each year within a 1280 km (800 mi) radius of our institution. Our academic expectations are rigorous and include reading assignments, pre-trip questions, field notebooks and journal entries as well as a research paper and follow-up post-trip questions all of which are designed to capitalize on the integration of the two disciplines. This field course is one way in which we get our students out in the field for a trip longer than a day trip or weekend trip to learn about the interaction of geology and biology on both small and large scales in the scenic Pacific Northwest. We suggest that this technique of integration may be applied to field courses at a variety of academic institutions and in any physiographic province provided that three critical aspects in the successful implementation of our approach are met: (1) Two (or more) faculty in different fields that are willing to work together during preparation and execution of the course; (2) A clear primary objective or overarching theme for the course that is well-defined and that lends itself to an integrative approach; and (3) A prominent National Park or significant geographic feature to enhance the interest in the course and to draw enrollments.

Teaching with Catastrophe: Topographic Map Interpretation and the Physical Geography of the 1949 Mann Gulch, Montana Wildfire

Topographic map interpretation is typically taught by “imaginary landscape” or “classic terrain” approaches. This paper details how a “catastrophic approach” involving the August 1949 Mann Gulch, Montana wildfire may be used to teach topographic map interpretation in a university-level Introduction to Physical Geography course. The Mann Gulch wildfire erupted from lightning-struck trees to a blowup that killed twelve smokejumpers and one fire and recreation guard as it burned 3000 acres in ten minutes. Two smokejumpers survived by outrunning the fire and one lived by lying in the ashes of his escape fire. The wildfire and its tragic outcome were the culmination of topography, fuels, weather, and human response to calamity. The mix of topographic map interpretation as well as physical geography questions in multiple-choice, explanation, and calculation formats target key steps taken by the fire crew over a ~2 hour period. This approaches' effectiveness stems from its mental and emotional involvement of students as they holistically analyze the landscape and the firefighter's actions within a very real and dynamic setting. Variations of the exercise have been successfully used in three different courses over the past eight years. Numerous other examples of catastrophe could be used to enhance topographic map interpretation in various geography and geology courses.

A Solid Waste Landfill Siting Exercise for an Introductory Environmental Geology Course

A solid waste landfill siting exercise has been developed for an introductory environmental geology course. Students are asked to site a county landfill using the actual state guidelines developed and enforced by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The students work in small groups and synthesize information from a variety of resources, including maps of geology, hydrology, land use, and topography. After choosing a site, students explain the benefits and drawbacks of the chosen location in oral and written formats. The exercise asks students to draw on a variety of topics and skills explored earlier in the term and to apply them to a real-world environmental problem. It has been successfully implemented as a capstone project at a liberal arts college and a large public institution.

Studio Classrooms and Student Centered Learning in Traditional Microscopy Courses

A studio classroom involves few traditional lectures. Instead it emphasizes collaborative/cooperative learning and active learning. The instructor acts as a facilitator while the students work together to learn. In Geology courses involving petrographic microscopes, engaging students in cooperative learning may be problematic. Microscopy traditionally involves individual students using seperate petrographic microscopes. Digital microscopy using digital cameras to provide live video feed to a video monitor can help change a microscopy lab into a studio-style classroom. Students can work together on labs, teach each other to identify common rock-forming minerals, and piece together geologic histories and environment of formations in a highly collaborative environment. Once students adjust to the classroom environment, studio-style work carries over easily into class activities that don't necessarily involve the microscope. Studio classrooms promote higher test scores and students learn the importance of group work and in class presentations.

An On-Campus Well Field for Hydrogeophysics Education and Undergraduate Research

The emerging subdiscipline of hydrogeophysics is underdeveloped in undergraduate curricula relative to its importance in professional engineering/environmental practice. In 2001, the Bucknell Department of Geology initiated efforts to refocus an undergraduate geophysics course on near-surface geophysical methods for hydrologic, environmental, and engineering problems. In addition to offering students practical experience, treatment of hydrogeophysics provides important pedagogical opportunities. Field-based hydrogeophysics labs challenge students to integrate concepts from other geology courses, as well as from physics, math, and chemistry.We faced two challenges in revising our geophysics course: (1) access to wells for field exercises on borehole geophysics; and (2) the costs of acquiring and maintaining equipment. We pursued two strategies to solve these problems. First, we established an on-campus well field, which serves as a field laboratory for downhole and cross-hole experiments. Second, we incorporated field demonstrations and lectures by professional geoscientists, including alumni, into our courses. By adding field exercises to our syllabi and promoting undergraduate research, we are building a cutting-edge dataset that includes televiewer and standard wellbore logging, cross-hole tomography, and hydraulic-test data. Student-led analysis of these data has already provided valuable insights into the control of fractures on aquifer properties, and these observations are being combined with outcrop studies to place our results in a more regional context.

Biography of Aureal T. Cross: World class coal geologist, palynologist, paleobotanist and educator

Abstract An Ohioan by birth, June 4, 1916, in Findlay, Hancock County, Aureal T. Cross grew up an Iowan on a dairy farm near Waterloo at Castle Hill. He was the second of five children of Congregational Minister Raymond W. and Mrs. Myra Jane Coon Cross. Aureal's grade school education was mostly in a one-room school at Castle Hill, then to East Waterloo, junior high and high school, where music was as important as farm work before and after classes. On a history and music scholarship at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Aureal was drawn to L. R. Wilson's physical geology course and the summer reconnaissance trips. Graduating from Coe College in 1939 with an honors thesis on pollen analysis, Aureal completed his Masters in 1941 and a PhD thesis in 1943 at the University of Cincinnati with J. H. Hoskins on Pennsylvanian age plants from coal-balls. During 1942–1946 he taught premedical U.S. Navy students at the University of Notre Dame with a 1943–1944 leave as a National Research Council Fellow. Aureal and Christina Aleen Teyssier met during 1943 in Pittsburgh and married in 1945. Aureal replaced K. E. Caster, his paleontology mentor, for three and one half years (1946–1949) in the Geology Department at Cincinnati, and did field mapping for the Ohio Geological Survey during the summers. Cross established (1949–1957) productive graduate training and research programs in the West Virginia University Geology Department and the West Virginia Geologic and Economic Survey where he had dual appointments. His move (1957–1961) to Exploration Geology, at Amoco's Pan American Petroleum Corporation Research Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, permitted him to develop and supervise a major palynological research group. The return to academia (1961) at Michigan State University in East Lansing resulted in one of the most comprehensive graduate training programs in paleobotany, palynology, biostratigraphy and paleoecology in North America. Although Aureal Cross officially retired in 1986, he has continued research projects, publication of manuscripts, attends professional meetings with Aleen, and has kept in touch with several generations of his students as well as with many colleagues. He has received numerous awards, none more deserved than those recognizing his outstanding contributions as a teacher, coal geologist, and paleobotanist.

Introduction to Field Geology.: MARY LOU BEVIER. 192 Pp. McGraw-Hill Ryerson. 2005. ISBN: 0070931097. Price US$62.95.

This book was written to fulfill a need of undergraduate geology students for a comprehensive text that covers field procedures, geologic interpretation of field relationships, use of digital equipment in the field, and map interpretation. Dr. Bevier, the author and an instructor for field geology courses, succeeds in this mission, providing a softbound, two-color book that is logically laid out, clearly written, and well illustrated. The writing is informal and sometimes humorous, and includes practical tips and real life examples. Although not as detailed nor as complete of a treatment as some classic texts, such as Geology in the Field (R. R. Compton, 1985), the book is more modern and accessible for beginning- to intermediate-level geology students, and I would recommend its purchase for students planning to attend a field geology course. Major sections of the book include an introduction to the importance of field geology, understanding geologic maps, base maps, tools and techniques in …

Supporting Student Conceptual Model Development of Complex Earth Systems Through the Use of Multiple Representations and Inquiry

Students organize scientific knowledge and reason about issues in the Earth sciences by manipulating internally-constructed mental models and socially-constructed, expressed, conceptual models. The Earth sciences, which focus on the study of complex, dynamic, Earth systems, may present unique cognitive difficulties to students in their development of authentic, accurate expressed conceptual models of these systems. This pilot study came about as we were seeking to construct inquiry modules to assist undergraduate students as they developed an understanding of eutrophication along the coastal margin, a good example of a complex, dynamic, environmental process. The modules we developed coupled the use of physical models and information technology (IT)-based multiple representations with an inquiry-based learning environment that allowed our students to develop and test their conceptual models based on available evidence and to solve authentic, complex, and ill-constrained problems. Our hypothesis was that the quality of students' conceptual models would predict their performance on inquiry modules, and that students' prior knowledge (measured by number of previous courses in geology) would mediate the strength of the relationship between students' model expression and their inquiry performance. Statistical results of this study indicated such a relationship existed only among students in the high prior knowledge group. In the light of our findings, we make recommendations for pedagogical accommodations to improve all undergraduates' abilities to understand complex, dynamic, environmental systems, with a particular emphasis on students who have lower levels of prior knowledge.

Ontology and the Teaching of Earth System Science

Student ontological level is an important consideration for faculty interested in teaching Earth System Science. Interviews with 61 students enrolled in entry-level geology courses at two institutions reveal that very few students exhibit Process or Systems ontologies. Earth Systems Science instruction generally assumes that students are thinking about processes and systems, although this study suggests that students predominantly understand that changes occur on Earth without either 1) a concrete acceptance that these changes result from a cause, or 2) an explanation for these causes beyond scientific terms such as “subduction”. This has critical implications for teaching Earth System Science, and suggests that activities that can help college students develop Process and Systems ontologies need to be developed and evaluated.

Integrating Inquiry-based Learning into Undergraduate Geology

Despite robust rationales for using an inquiry-based pedagogy in university and college-level science courses, it is conspicuously absent from many of today's classrooms. Inquiry-based learning is crucial for developing critical-thinking skills, honing scientific problem solving ability, and developing scientific content knowledge. Inquiry-based pedagogy provides students with opportunities to participate and practice the activities involved in science. There are a number of dimensions that are integral to the creation of an inquiry-based learning environment that are applicable to the geological sciences. We considered these dimensions in the design of an inquiry-based undergraduate geology course and collected quantitative and qualitative data that documents the successful implementation of this redesigned course. Our findings show that when appropriately structured, inquiry-based learning can help students develop critical scientific-inquiry skills, suggesting that inquiry-based learning is essential for teaching geology at the university or college level. With the proper alignment of course objectives, content, pedagogical design, tasks, assessment strategies, and instructor and student roles, geoscience instructors at the university or college level can create inquiry-based learning environments in which students are able to successfully develop skills in scientific inquiry as well as geological content knowledge.

Acceptance of the SEG Waldemar Lindgren Award for 2005

Mr. President, colleagues, and friends: It is with great pleasure that I accept the Waldemar Lindgren Medal of the Society of Economic Geologists this evening. This is truly an honor and quite humbling, and I would like to thank my colleagues, Jan Peter, Mike Lesher, Wayne Goodfellow, and Dave Lentz, for nominating me. I think I was destined to become a geologist. As a child, I remember searching for fossils and pyrite in shales in rocks of nearby limestone quarries of my home in western Newfoundland. I was always impressed with the beauty of the landscape in this area, particularly the Bay of Islands and how it came to be. It was this early interest in the landscape and rocks that led me to take a geology course in my last year of high school. Geology was not a subject taken by many; typically this course was taken to bump up your marks before going to university and then to be forgotten promptly after the final exam. Fortunately, I had an outstanding teacher, Mr. Roger Chaytor, and it was his lectures on plate tectonics and sea-floor spreading that made me decide to try geology at university. I was fortunate to attend Memorial University of Newfoundland. Memorial’s undergraduate program was truly outstanding—it provided all the basics and was very field oriented. It seemed we were in the field all the time and it made me realize that most problems in earth sciences required field observations to solve them and are in one way or another linked to tectonics. A number of people had significant influence on me while I was a student at Memorial. Bill Iams, my first-year professor, taught with such exuberance and excitement that it made me realize that I made the right decision to enter geology; he also …

Field-based Instruction as Part of a Balanced Geoscience Curriculum at Washington and Lee University

Traditionally at Washington and Lee University teaching in the field has been the core of our geology curriculum. We emphasize fieldwork at all levels of our instruction from the field-based introductory courses to our senior theses. We are fortunate to be located in a geologically diverse location (in the Valley and Ridge of Virginia and within minutes of the Blue Ridge Mountains). The close proximity of geologic variety allows us to spend nearly every class or laboratory period outside. We view fieldwork, however, as just the beginning of geoscience education. A crucial aspect of field geology is making observations and synthesizing the data collected. It is equally important for students to have well-developed skills in field methods, in analytical techniques, in computation and modeling, and in synthesis and presentation. To emphasize all of these aspects, our coursework is largely focused on emulating the process of research. Because we have had such a strong field emphasis, we are striving to strike a balance in our curriculum. We will present 3 examples of integrated exercises in our geology courses (including introductory geology, sedimentary geology, and geochemistry).

Integrating Handheld Technology with Field Investigations in Introductory-level Geoscience Courses

Many geoscience students do not receive the opportunity to use handheld computers and similar tools during field experiences until they enroll in upper-division courses or attend field camp. Although many outdoor exercises in introductory-level courses include demonstrations of pieces of equipment in the field, students in these classes may not have a chance to use these equipment individually. However, handheld technology can be successfully integrated with introductory-level field experiences as a data collection tool and reference guide. Palm Pilot handheld computers offer each student the opportunity to become actively involved in the field experience. Forms can be created and tailored to a specific outdoor investigation and placed on the Palms for students to collect data. Instructors can create instructional videos and eBooks with references on the Palms that correspond to the project objective. For two years Penn State Delaware County has integrated handheld technology with field experiences into introductory-level geoscience courses in physical geology and oceanography. In addition to giving students a valuable introduction to technology that can be used in the field, the experience gives non-science majors a chance to see an application of an everyday technological tool in a nontraditional setting. End-of-semester course evaluations are filled with positive comments and student suggestions of further Palm Pilot integration.

Frontiers in earth sciences: new ideas and interpretation

A one-day symposium on new and conventional ideas in plate tectonics and Mediterranean geodynamics was held in Rome on February 19, 2003 at the headquarters of INGV. There were two main reasons for such an initiative. The first was an invitation to Giancarlo Scalera from the «Gabriele D’Annunzio» University of Chieti to present his alternative ideas on global tectonics to final year students of the Regional Geology course. The second was a reciprocal invitation to Giusy Lavecchia and Francesco Stoppa to explain their criticisms of the application of subduction-related models to Italian geology and to present their data on the recently discovered intra-Apennines carbonatite occurrences. It was decided to dedicate an entire day to seminars, involving people with a more conventional approach to geodynamics, especially those involved with seismic tomography. In the last few years, high-resolution mantle tomographic models have been widely used to unravel the geometry of subduction zones. A turning point in the field, however, was a review paper written by Fukao et al. (Rev. Geophysics, 39, 291-323, 2001) showing that there was no clear evidence for slab subduction down to the core-mantle boundary, thus posing a major problem on the balance between the lithosphere subducted at consuming plate margins and the large amount of oceanic lithosphere accreted at diverging plate margins. This prompted the need to re-evaluate the nature of subduction and plate margin evolution. Accepting the theory of plate tectonics, many problems remain open, especially those regarding plate driving mechanisms and their possible link with the forces developed at the core-mantle boundary. Might these forces trigger pulsating tectonic and magmatic activity, with mantle upwellings and large-scale emission of CO2, capable of causing dramatic changes in the composition of the atmosphere and changes at the Earth’s surface? Could these lead to major catastrophic changes in Earth history? During the one-day symposium, a stimulating discussion took place involving different interpretations of observations, especially those relating to the geodynamics of the Mediterranean region. Although the papers in this collection do not provide unique solutions, they do, however, provide new insights into some problems and in some cases suggest new interpretations. Many questions also arise about the relationships between the tectonics of the lithosphere and the deep mantle processes. May the denser portions of the inner parts of the Earth transform into shallower, lighter chemical phases, with a possible increase in the Earth’s volume? May the asthenosphere above growing plume heads be capable of dragging the overlying lithosphere? May mantle plumes be wet rather than hot? Some papers consider gravitation to be a driving mechanism for the nucleation of contractional belts and others even doubt the compressional origin of orogens. Finally – as a link to fundamental physics – an original mechanism of energy conversion from gravitons to photons is proposed as a supply of energy for global tectonic processes. Obviously, because of an often diverse philosophical and scientific background, it is difficult for the ideas presented in this supplement to be shared by all readers and contributors. But we hope that these ideas will help to encourage critical evaluations of some commonly accepted concepts in modern plate tectonic theory. European geoscientists have available to them an exceptional natural laboratory – the Mediterranean and surrounding orogens – complete with all of its paradoxes and contradictions. In this natural laboratory, we hope that new evidence and new solutions to a variety of problems outside of the Mediterranean region will be found!

Searching for the Difference: A Controlled Test of Just-in-Time Teaching for Large-Enrollment Introductory Geology Courses

At Western Washington University (WWU), we tested the effectiveness of Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) methods in introductory geoscience courses. JiTT is an interactive-engagement teaching method developed for introductory physics courses (Novak et al., 1999). The key to the JiTT method is a short time frame feedback loop in which student learning informs instruction. The JiTT method includes several distinct components. (1) Web-based WarmUp exercises check on students' comprehension of reading assignments and ability to connect new concepts to those previously developed. Students submit answers to these exercises via the web up to four hours before each lecture. (2) Interactive lectures based on WarmUp responses emphasize problem-solving skills. (3) Web-based puzzles wrap up topics with critical thinking problems. We conducted our test using two sections of Geology 101 at WWU: the experimental section applied JiTT methods and the control section was taught using the traditional lecture format. Our experimental and control sections were non-major general education courses, had the same learning objectives, and objectives were assessed using the same exams. Students completed a First Day Survey providing baseline data about their demographics, science courses taken previously in high school and college, their attitude about studying science and their knowledge about basic Earth science concepts. On the first exam, the JiTT students scored significantly higher than the students in the traditional lecture section by an average of 2 points out of 50. The JiTT students' combined average on three exams during the course was higher, but not statistically significant. When the data from the First Day Survey were taken into account using multi-variable regression analysis, all differences in performance on exams becomes insignificant. We interpret our results to indicate that scores on objective (emphasizing knowledge and comprehension) exams may depend strongly on students' incoming prior knowledge, more than on the specific methods used to teach the class. Student evaluations of the course taught using JiTT methods were very positive toward the JiTT methods and their experience with introductory geology. Although we hope that such affective differences foreshadow long-term enhancement in learning (that our study did not assess), we caution instructors not to rely only on exam scores or student evaluations to gauge teaching effectiveness. Conversely, we recognize that scores on objective exams may not capture development of higher order thinking that the JiTT method may foster.

Artificial Outcrops Give Real Experience in Interpreting a Geologic History: The CMUland Group Project for Historical Geology Courses

A basic goal of historical geology courses is for students to gain an understanding of the methods, theories, and logic used in interpreting geologic histories. This is traditionally taught as a series of individual, isolated lessons in identification of rocks, fossils, and sedimentary structures and interpretations of radiometric dating, sequences of events, past depositional environments, and past tectonic events. A supplemental project incorporating these lessons teaches students to evaluate different types of data and use critical thinking to reconstruct a geologic history. Here, a semester-long, group project has been developed that allows students to use their lab- and classroom-honed skills on real rocks in a field setting. Our “field area” includes 11 artificial outcrops, representing six rock types. Students must: (1) identify rock types and fossils; (2) calculate radiometric ages; (3) recognize stratigraphic contacts, geologic structures, and cross-cutting relationships; and (4) critically evaluate this data to give a chronological history of past environments, tectonic events, and even climate. Assessment shows that student learning was enhanced greatly as a result. Not only did students acquire more experience and a deeper understanding in the mechanics of historical geology, they also gained an appreciation for the work required to interpret a geologic history.

The Value of Reservoir-Bottom Field Trips for Undergraduate Geology Courses

Teachers of sediment-related geology courses should consider taking their classes on field trips to exposed reservoir bottoms. A wonderful variety of fluvial, deltaic, and lacustrine features and processes can be observed there. A visit to a modern sedimentary environment such as a reservoir bottom gives students important personal experience that they can draw on when learning to interpret sedimentary rocks using the principle of uniformitarianism. It can also inspire investigation of a range of related geological and environmental issues.

Developments in the teaching of hydrometallurgy in Australia

The past decade has seen the steady decline in the numbers of students opting for careers in the mining and metallurgical industry throughout the world. This has resulted in a corresponding decline in the number of tertiary institutions offering both under- and postgraduate training in extractive metallurgy. The teaching of courses in geology, mining and extractive metallurgy in Australian universities is undergoing significant change largely as a result of the initiative taken by the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA). This has resulted in a major program aimed at developing national under- and postgraduate courses in selected areas with the aim of making these available to a consortium of participating universities. Murdoch University, together with the A J Parker Cooperative Research Centre for Hydrometallurgy, has been commissioned to develop the course in hydrometallurgy. Progress in the development of this course will be discussed in terms of overall philosophy, content and mode of delivery. Aspects of the extension to a Web-based course will also be summarized. Murdoch University has also established a hydrometallurgical pilot plant on the campus and the results of the first continuous operation for several months using under- and postgraduate students as operators will be discussed from the point of view of practical training and of providing an interface with the local industry.

William Lee Stokes: Earth historian from Hiawatha

When I was a boy, my father would send me out into the wilderness to find cattle. I was never successful at this, but I could always find my way home with some dinosaur bone . —William Lee Stokes, 1971 The Roman head of William Lee Stokes (Fig. 1), moustached, bespectacled, wry smile, bushy white hair parted on the left side, comes to me often, though he drifted into the Mesozoic – exact whereabouts unknown – on December 12, 1994. In his life, Stokes wrote and talked to great effect of worlds he had earned the hard way – in the field, hand lens to an eye, down on his hands and knees on rocks, searching for remains of ancient life. From such attention to Earth, we have gained his interpretations of the Mesozoic lands of the Colorado Plateau, his comprehensive 1987 account of the Geology of Utah , and the four editions (starting in 1960) of Essentials of Earth history . Along the way he was director of the program to compile the first geologic map of Utah, a major accomplishment that he shared with Lehi F. Hintze and J. H. Madsen, Jr. Publication of several geologic maps in the early 1960s spurred mineral and hydrocarbon exploration and the search for and development of coal deposits. In the United States, Utah ranks ninth in natural gas production, and 13th in coal and oil production. Figure 1. Lee Stokes preparing for a class. Photo couresy of Mrs. Betty Stokes. For many years, Essentials was the book most often used in historical geology courses at universities. It was adopted in all fifty states. It was translated into Spanish. First with Sheldon Judson (1968) and then with Judson and me (1978), Stokes also wrote two much-used editions of Introduction to geology : …