THE VICTORY PLUTON PROJECT: A MODEL FOR SMALL GROUP UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

The Victory Pluton project, a study of contact metamorphism and pluton emplacement in NE VT, involved 12 students doing field work in groups of 1 to 4 students between 1994 and 2000. It can serve as a model for a multi-year research project in which undergraduate students develop their own thesis projects related to a broader question. The project has resulted in 10 undergraduate theses, one independent project, 16 abstracts, one student-coauthored paper, and a field trip guide. Five of the students are currently enrolled in geology graduate programs and 2 have completed other professional degrees so far.

Most student projects involved a four-week field season followed by two semesters during which students completed lab work and wrote and presented abstracts and theses. Each field season began with one day studying existing literature followed by four days in the field introducing the rock units, field techniques, and potential thesis problems. At the end of the first week, each student chose a thesis topic. Topics included reconnaissance mapping, petrology, and structure of portions of the aureole; P-T paths from various parts of the aureole; detailed mapping of a fault zone within the aureole; and strain analysis. During the last three weeks in the field, students alternated working on their own projects and working as field assistants for other students. I accompanied one of the groups each day, making suggestions and sharing my observations, but following the students' choices of areas to visit.

This project was successful for students because they had complete freedom to define their problem in the context of a larger question. Their ownership of individual questions allowed them to fully understand the way geologists do science, from conceiving of a problem to designing research methods to presenting findings. The larger question to which all the students were contributing made the research more exciting. Field groups of two to four students were simultaneously manageable from the advisor's standpoint and allowed students to experience the social and scientific benefits of collaborative research.