INQUIRY BASED GATEWAY COURSE TO THE GEOLOGY MAJOR

The adoption of a new general education program at Illinois State University led to the development of an inquiry based gateway course to the geology major. The class does geology rather than learning about geology. The course is offered each semester and the enrollment is limited to Geology majors, Geology minors, and the top group of honor students who have completed 30 semester hours and the general education science requirements. Each semester is a different geologic project results in a formal presentation of activities and results. Results of the Spring 200 and Fall 2001 classes are two complete field trip stop descriptions published by the Illinois State Geological Survey in its Field Trip Guidebook series. Class activities included GPS mapping the site, development of computer illustrations (location map, site map, geologic section and illustration of fossils at the site), measuring and describing outcrops, rock and fossil preparation, laboratory analysis of calcite-dolomite content of limestone units and textural analysis of mudstones, glacial diamicts, and silts. Previous class projects included: Correlation of limestone units, discrimination of glacial diamicts, and correlation of glacial diamicts. Students give the class high marks in course evaluations and students now perform better in their upper level geology courses.