MULTI-SEMESTER STUDENT RESEARCH PROJECTS IN MINERALOGY AND PETROLOGY

The application of hands-on, inquiry based pedagogy is a growing trend in undergraduate geoscience education. Such an approach requires that students be assigned either short-term or long-term projects. In many cases, projects are illustrative and are recycled from year to year. Although of great value in illustrating important concepts, such projects often do not encourage scientific thinking. In an effort to expand inquiry based pedagogy, multi-semester research projects were introduced to the mineralogy-petrology sequence at Southern Utah University (SUU). With these projects, students apply mineralogic and petrologic concepts learned in course work. Since projects are centered around poorly understood areas, students know that they are making a real contribution to science and thus feel a sense of ownership to their work. At SUU, mineralogy is offered on an annual basis, while petrology is on a biannual schedule. The two mineralogy classes start a project as a group, and the two projects are completed as parallel projects in petrology. Currently, one group is investigating metamorphism of 1.7 Ga rocks exposed in the Beaver Dam Mountain in southwest Utah, while a second group is characterizing contact metamorphism associated with copper mineralization in western Utah. Both projects started with fieldwork and sample collection. In mineralogy, students chose a specific lithology to concentrate on, prepared thin sections, and identify and described all minerals in their samples. In petrology, students compile their data, determine the conditions of metamorphism, and report their findings. Each group prepares oral and poster presentations that are given at local or regional venues. With this multi-semester approach, students are exposed to all stages of scientific research.