RESULTS OF THE GEOSCIENCE CONCEPT INVENTORY FROM FIELD-BASED INTRODUCTORY GEOLOGY COURSES

Geology field programs are the hallmark of upper-level geology curricula, but are much less common at the introductory level. Recent quantitative summative assessment of an introductory, entirely field-based geology course suggests that field experiences at the introductory level are successful at improving geoscience concept understanding among science as well as non-science majors. Incoming-freshmen, freshmen, and sophomore students who participated in a nine-week, 200-level field-based geology course scored consistently and significantly higher on the Geoscience Content Inventory (GCI) than students in any other type of introductory geoscience course for which GCI data are reported. A 19-item GCI was administered as a pre-test and post-test to assess changes in students' understanding of geoscience concepts as a result of participation in the course. Results of pre- and post-tests over three field seasons are reported and statistically analyzed and compared with GCI results reported by Libarkin & Anderson for a variety of classroom-based courses across the United States. Initial quantitative GCI results suggest that field-components, if not entirely field-based introductory courses, in geology are a successful means of improving student geoscience concept understanding.