A FIELDTRIP FOR INTRODUCTORY EARTH SCIENCE CLASSES DEVELOPED BY UNDERGRADUATE GEOSCIENCE MAJORS

Undergraduate geology majors in the Geology/Geography Department at Eastern Illinois University developed a fieldtrip throughout the Charleston area to be offered to the Introductory Earth Science classes each semester. Our goal for these trips were fourfold: 1) to expose the students to local geology, 2) to help students visualize classroom material, 3) to increase interest in geology and geography, and 4) to gain experience in planning and leading an informational trip. Stops included Charleston Stone Quarry, Westfield Oil Range, Fox Ridge State Park, and Lake Charleston. The stops were chosen for their proximity and availability, as well as for their ability to demonstrate information that may have been covered in class.

After the fieldtrips the student were asked to fill out a survey for feedback. From this we were able to get a better idea of what needed to be changed or improved upon. Overall the students enjoyed the first trip, although they indicated that they wished it was shorter in length. This first experience also clued in the presenters to things that needed to be changed to help the next trip to go smoother.

Feedback gained from the student surveys on these fieldtrips allowed for continued improvement in both the information given as well as the presentations themselves. Some items changed include the length of the trip, the sites we stopped at, how information was presented to the students at the different stops, and finally the handout given to the students was modified so that students received it before the trip, rather than during the trip. We plan to continue to modify our introductory fieldtrip based on student surveys as well as our presenter's experiences. We continue to offer this experience to the Introductory Earth Science classes.