Geology 100 - Notes on Planet Earth - Orchestrating a Blended Course with 250+ Students Gary H. Girty

Notes on Planet Earth (CD: Interactive Multimedia Electronic Book)

Interactive IllustrationsInteractive Practice Exams

Standard Practice Exams (pdf files)

Notes on Planet Earth (Web site: http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/visualgeology/geology101/)

Interactive IllustrationsInteractive Practice Exams

Standard Practice Exams (pdf files)

Director movies of all lectures

Review sessions prior to each exam

Multimedia lectures

Maximum flexibility in fitting student schedule

Maximum flexibility in selecting preferred method of learning

Clear and concise goals

Constraints

Objectives

This course has several overarching and content goals. Overarching goals are outline below and meet several of the Goals and Objectives for GE Courses in the Sciences as outlined in the 2003 SDSU Curriculum Guide

I. Overarching Goals/OutcomesAfter completion of this course students will be able to:

1. Articulate the multidisciplinary integrated nature of the Earth Sciences and the importance of its role in their and others everyday lives (Goal 1 – Objectives 2 and 3)

2. Articulate how technological advances along with the collection of a myriad of observational and analytical data over the last 200 years have lead naturally to the interpretation that the Earth originated about 4.6 billion years ago, and that its development has been punctuated by several major planet-wide events that brought about profound change in Earth’s habitants (Goal 2 – Objective 1)

3. Articulate how laboratory experimentation has lead to an enhanced understanding of dynamic earth processes such as faults and earthquakes, and, as a result, how the Earth Sciences have impacted their and others quality of life (Goal 2 – Objective 2; Goal 3 – Objective 3).

4. Articulate how the scientific method is used to infer the causes of global-scale changes that have affected planet Earth over time (Goal 2 – Objectives 2, 3).

5. Articulate examples of everyday observations that indicate that the Earth is dynamic and ever changing, and how these observations impact their daily life (Goal 4 – Objectives 1, 3, 4).

The above overarching goals are intertwined with the following specific content goals.

II. Content Goals/OutcomesTo meet content goals students will be able to:

1. Articulate the role that lithospheric plates and their movements play in shaping the Earth’s landmasses and ocean basins, and the internal compositional and mechanical attributes of planet Earth

2. Identify from their physical and chemical characteristics the common minerals in the non-silicate and silicate mineral groups

3. Distinguish the three major rock groups based on their physical characteristics and modes of formation

4. Articulate the distribution of the 12 major soil orders within the various states, and convey the major climatic or parental controls on this distribution

5. Convey the vastness of geologic time, key biological and physical events that have affected Earth through time, the terminology used to distinguish time from the rocks and sediments deposited during a specific time interval, and the role of the fundamental age equation in establishing the temporal framework for the geologic time scale

6. Identify the different types of faults and demonstrate an understanding of their origin, distribution, and relationship to earthquakes.

7. Identify the different types of folds from their geometrical and stratigraphic character, and the various map symbols used to locate and characterize them on geologic maps.

8. Identify the various landforms displayed on topographic maps, articulate locations in township and range format, and convey the differences between magnetic and geographic north.

9. Articulate the role of the Earth, Moon, and Sun in producing tides, the role of wind in producing waves, and the physical characteristics of deep and shallow water waves.

10. Convey that the Earth’s climate has been different in the past as exemplified by the Great Ice Age, and that the Earth’s climate is influenced by a variety of mechanisms including the precession and obliquity of the Earth’s axis of rotation and the eccentricity of its orbit around the sun along with large volcanic eruptions and bolide impacts.

Basic Design What is your specific innovation? I have developed a blended course for the classic introductory geology class called Notes on Planet Earth. In an attempt to provide the students as many different ways as possible to understand/learn the required material I provide them (a) a web site that contains the 13 modules that are covered during the course, (b) a CD that allows them to print out the 13 modules, and (c) I lecture to those students that desire a more classical form of delivery. Embedded in the 13 modules are interactive illustrations made in Flash, and at the end of each module there is an interactive practice exam. In addition, I provide a link on the web site for students to download pdf files of the practice exams. I have set up a blog (see http://notesplanetearth.blogspot.com/), where I hope to engage the students in discussions about extra credit questions that I will post. The extra credit questions will deal with timely issues presented in the news media or world-wide web that deal specifically with geology. Finally, I am in the process of developing a series of Director-based movies (e.g., enhanced podcasts) of my lectures that will be made available on the web site and on the CD for those students who prefer such a format. What engaging and worthwhile learning activities and tasks will your students complete? I have set up a blog (see http://notesplanetearth.blogspot.com/), where I hope to engage the students in discussions about extra credit questions that I will post. The extra credit questions will deal with timely issues presented in the news media or world-wide web that deal specifically with geology.

When in the course will the new innovation be introduced, both in terms of the course calendar and in terms of the overall curricular flow of the course? I will begin introducing these innovations into the two summer courses that I teach. For example, I have already introduced the blog and will have the Director movies of my lecturers completed by the end Fall 2006. What are the students' roles in the activity/intervention? The students will have the choice of how they want to obtain the information to be successful in the class. They can read and interact with the material online or on a CD. Alternatively, they can print it out from the CD, or attend one of my lectures. In addition, after I have completed the Director movies of my lecture they will have a fifth choice. What is your role? To use the orchestra-director metaphor, I am the director. How and where will your students work? Classroom, lab, groups, etc.? They have a choice – they can work at home, alone, in groups, or they can attend my lectures and review sessions. I emphasize the fact that I have open office hours for all students 5 days a week. In addition, I respond to emails from students from 8:00 am until 10:00 pm daily. What other support services and resources will you need? None Will you need additional people to help with this activity/intervention? No Learning Gains What do you want students to know and be able to do as a result of your innovation? See Objectives in syllabus and posted elsewhere in this poster. What knowledge, skills, strategies, and attitudes do you expect students to gain? See Objectives in syllabus posted and posted elsewhere in this poster. How can technology extend and enhance the lesson in ways that would not be possible without it? We are a diverse population in terms of our cultures and academic backgrounds. This diversity translates into a need for a course structure that accommodates the different ways that our student population obtains and retains information. Technology provides a way to produce just such a structure. Why is it that you selected this particular learning activity? I enjoy working with computers and helping students help themselves. How do plan to gauge the success of your innovation in a way that you could demonstrate this effectiveness to colleagues? I will develop a survey that will allow me to assess which of the 5 different methods of obtaining/learning the required material worked best for students completing the course, and why. The survey will also follow up on the course Objectives outlined elsewhere in this poster. If the structure of this course proves successful, then I hope to use it to develop a course entitled “Faults of California: Recognizing and Understanding a Natural Hazard”. What potential problems do you anticipate? Time, time, time,….

Blog: interactive web-based student discussions