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Department of Geology and Environmental ScienceJames Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia
DUALING TOPICS: SUCCESS USING A TWO TRACK OPTION IN THE JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY IRELAND FIELD
COURSE
http://www.jmu.edu/geology/fieldcourse
L.S. Eaton, S.J. Baedke, J. Haynes, E.A. Johnson, S.A. Leslie, E.J. Pyle, S.W. Whitmeyer, and S.J. Whitmeyer
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Trends in Field Course Enrollments(USA Institutions)
Data: courtesy of Penny Morton, University of Minnesota-Duluth
JMU Field Course1978 – 2003
Shenandoah Valley
Five Week Course•Plane Table Alidade•Mapping projects in Carbonates, Meta- Sediments, Meta- Volcanics, Gneisses
JMU Field Course2004 – 2005
northern NM & southern CO
North Carolina – Virginia System Wide Field Course
JMU Field Course2006 – 2010
Ireland field course:
Student participation:
• 30-35 geoscience & environmental science majors;• 40-50% JMU students; • 50-60% students from other universities nationwide:
“A capstone course that combines study-abroad experience in western Ireland with a modern approach to field mapping, tectonic synthesis and professional report preparation.”
• Arizona State, Appalachian State, Boston Univ., UC Berkeley, Franklin & Marshall, Univ. of Iowa, Univ. of Minnesota, Univ. of Vermont, Virginia Tech., Washington State Univ., Univ. of Wisconsin, etc.
Week Six: Primarily One-Day Exercises
INTEGRATING STUDENT-LED RESEARCH IN ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY INTO TRADITIONAL FIELD COURSES:
A CASE STUDY FROM JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY'S FIELD COURSE IN IRELAND
Eaton, L.S., May, C.L., Moore, K.R., Harris, M.J., and Whitmeyer, S.J.
“Beta Trial in 2007”
Student-Led Research in Environmental GeologyGoals:• Field-based formulation and testing of
hypotheses • Develop a ‘research experience’ for participants• Exposure to applied geology • Experience in group problem solving
Products:• GSA-style presentation
(poster or oral) • Three page ‘executive
summary’ of their findings
Second “Beta Trial” of Hypothesis Testing Exercise for All Participants in 2008
Topic: Surface WaterWeek 3 of Field Course
Framework for2009 & 2010
“Self Selecting”of Students
Sedimentary Systems TrackWeek 5: Introduce section measurement and concepts of sequence stratigraphy and basin analysis where students mapped during the first 4 weeks
Week 6: Measure sections, sequence stratigraphy, and basin analysis of the Clare Basin
Your tasks in the field:Day 1: You will measure the succession at Brendan's Well near Lisdoonvarna for a detailed log and possibly another section in the Burren.
Day 2: You will measure the succession at Ballybunion.
You will only have one day at each of these localities, so no matter the weather….this is it!
BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE FIELD EACH DAYキ Make sure you have complete lithologic descriptions for each rock unit. Walk the section and be sure that your section log contains all major lithologic features. You should be able to match major beds/features easily from the outcrop to your stratigraphic sections
Before calling it a night on day 2, you must turn in:1) A neatly drafted stratigraphic log of both sections correlated to each other 2) A written interpretation of the basin history of the successions that correspond to your section logs. Include in this your interpretation of paleoenvironments and relative sea-level change throughout the successions. You must back up your interpretations with observations. 3) Field books from each member of your group 4) Your working field notes
Your tasks in the field:Day 1: You will measure the succession at Brendan's Well near Lisdoonvarna for a detailed log and possibly another section in the Burren.
Day 2: You will measure the succession at Ballybunion.
You will only have one day at each of these localities, so no matter the weather….this is it!
BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE FIELD EACH DAYキ Make sure you have complete lithologic descriptions for each rock unit. Walk the section and be sure that your section log contains all major lithologic features. You should be able to match major beds/features easily from the outcrop to your stratigraphic sections
Before calling it a night on day 2, you must turn in:1) A neatly drafted stratigraphic log of both sections correlated to each other 2) A written interpretation of the basin history of the successions that correspond to your section logs. Include in this your interpretation of paleoenvironments and relative sea-level change throughout the successions. You must back up your interpretations with observations. 3) Field books from each member of your group 4) Your working field notes
Week 5: Surface Hydrology and Hypothesis Testing
Environmental Geology/Hydro Track
Headwaters of Carrownisky River
Products:• GSA style presentation• Executive Summary
One Day Excursion:• Landslide Mapping and Evaluation
Week 6: Karst Groundwater Hydrology and Geochemistry
The Burren, western Ireland
Mass In = Mass Out + Change in Storage
Subsurface Distance of Flow ~ 2 km
“sinks”
Emerging spring
Examination of Water Budget and Change in Water Chemistry
ENVIRONMENTAL/HYDROLOGY OR SEDIMENTARY SYSTEMS EXERCISES
WEEK 6
My prior knowledge of this material wasNonexistent Very little Moderate Considerable Extensive
My prior feelings specific to this exercise were
Great discomfortSlightly
apprehensiveNeutral
At-ease and comfortable
Highly motivated
My prior skill level with this exercise was Completely unskilled
Basic Competent Skilled Expert
My knowledge gains from this exercise wereNonexistent Very little Moderate Considerable Extensive
My feelings after this exercise were
Great discomfortSlightly
apprehensiveNeutral
At-ease and comfortable
Highly motivated
I found this exercise to be:Not valuable at all
Only slightly valuable
Moderately valuable
Useful Essential
My skill level after this exercise was Completely unskilled
Basic Competent Skilled Highly skilled
1 2 3 4 5
3.12
3.92
3.00
4.27
4.50
4.42
3.81
My overall learning from this exercise was 4.46
Benefits of the Two-Track System
• Provides variety in the program• Target individual student interests • Application of skill and knowledge set gained in
weeks 1-4• Grading is ‘end loaded’
– Encourages consistent work and tenacity– Minimizes the ‘week 6’ let down
• Marketing tool• Employment aspects• “Buy in” among the faculty of the worthiness of
Field Course
http://www.jmu.edu/geology/fieldcourse
Examples of Hypotheses Tested in 2009
Question 1:How do anthropogenic and natural processes shape present-day river channels?
Question 2:What controls channel width?
Question 3:Do downstream changes in the Carrownisky River follow what is predicted from hydraulic geometry relationships?
Question 4:Does the Carrownisky River follow typical patterns of downstream fining?
Question 5: What are the control(s) of the spacing of the pools and riffles?
Question 6: How does bank cohesion affect channel width and depth of incision?
Carrownisky River
http://www.jmu.edu/ geology/fieldcourse
Many thanks to the students who
participated in the 2006 & 2007 Ireland
field courses!
Ireland field course, 2006 & 2007
ENVIRONMENTAL/HYDROLOGY OR SEDIMENTARY SYSTEMS EXERCISES
WEEKS 5&6
My prior knowledge of this material wasNonexistent Very little Moderate
Considerable
Extensive
My prior feelings specific to this exercise wereGreat
discomfortSlightly
apprehensiveNeutral
At-ease and comfortable
Highly motivated
My prior skill level with this exercise was Completely unskilled
Basic Competent Skilled Expert
My knowledge gains from this exercise wereNonexistent Very little Moderate
Considerable
Extensive
My feelings after this exercise wereGreat
discomfortSlightly
apprehensiveNeutral
At-ease and comfortable
Highly motivated
I found this exercise to be: Not valuable at all
Only slightly valuable
Moderately valuable
Useful Essential
My skill level after this exercise was Completely unskilled
Basic Competent SkilledHighly skilled
ENVIRONMENTAL/HYDROLOGY OR SEDIMENTARY SYSTEMS EXERCISES
WEEK 5
My prior knowledge of this material wasNonexistent Very little Moderate Considerable Extensive
My prior feelings specific to this exercise were
Great discomfortSlightly
apprehensiveNeutral
At-ease and comfortable
Highly motivated
My prior skill level with this exercise was Completely unskilled
Basic Competent Skilled Expert
My knowledge gains from this exercise wereNonexistent Very little Moderate Considerable Extensive
My feelings after this exercise were
Great discomfortSlightly
apprehensiveNeutral
At-ease and comfortable
Highly motivated
I found this exercise to be:Not valuable at all
Only slightly valuable
Moderately valuable
Useful Essential
My skill level after this exercise was Completely unskilled
Basic Competent Skilled Highly skilled
1 2 3 4 5
2.88
3.58
2.62
4.46
4.54
4.69
3.88
My overall learning from this exercise was 4.46
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