HOW IMPORTANT ARE TA’S? COMPARING STUDENT KNOWLEDGE RETENTION IN ONLINE AND CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

Inquiry based learning is a student-centered learning style where students actively work to attain new information to solve a problem by collaborating in groups or conducting individual research. This learning style creates an environment where students have a greater responsibility for their own learning while the instructor or teaching assistant acts as a guide or tutor, rather than formally presenting the information. The activities in inquiry based learning help to relate curriculum to future professions and increase the usefulness of the material for students as they transition into the work force. As online teaching methods are increasing in frequency in the geosciences curriculum, we explore the effectiveness of using online inquiry based learning in various types of classes.

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of inquiry based learning, students from several introductory geoscience classes were given the same lesson material in different formats. We examine the student performance in three topics typically taught in an introductory geology class (plate tectonics, volcanoes, and earthquakes). To assess the immediate and short-term retention of knowledge, students were given a pre-activity and post-activity assessment, as well as another assessment administered several weeks following the lesson. Individual and overall improvements are compared between students completing activities in an instructor-led format and an independent online format. The findings from this applied research study provide new insight into how student-centered techniques may be incorporated into science curriculums utilizing the convenience of online technology that will be of interest to both researchers and practitioners.