BUILDING STUDENT RESEARCH EXPERIENCES WITH THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD, DATA SETS, AND TECHNOLOGY IN INTRODUCTORY-LEVEL PHYSICAL GEOLOGY

Introductory-level geoscience courses offer an excellent opportunity to develop student skills working with the scientific method, data sets, and technological tools for data collection and processing. I develop my course goals as more skill-based rather than content-driven. I want my students to be able to conduct an investigation from the formulation of the initial hypothesis to writing the final report. I want students to be able to work with data sets and technological tools - important skills students will use no matter what their future field of work.

My students work on three projects during the semester where their responsibility of applying the scientific method, data sets, and technological tools increases with each project. The first project is conducted at a local shopping mall where all of the major rock types are present in the store fronts. The class as a whole brainstorms a hypothesis to test that involves which rock will be more common at the mall and why, then visits the mall and each student collects the storefront rock data on Palm Pilots while using an eBook on rock identification. Each student must write a research paper clearly detailing an introduction with the hypothesis, a methods section, results, discussion, and conclusion.

The second project focuses on tombstone weathering rates. Here the students are provided with three hypotheses to test, and they must develop one of their own. The class determines what data is necessary to collect to test the hypotheses. In the cemetery, the students use Palm Pilots to collect the data while using an eBook as a reference for tombstone style and composition. For the final research project, students work in groups and are given a theme to develop a testable hypothesis while utilizing online data sets. Here, the quality of their hypothesis is part of the project grade. For both these projects, students must use the internet and Excel to work with data sets to support or reject their hypothesis and write a written report.

Students have responded favorably to these projects. Many students comment that they appreciate the stepwise development of their skills using the scientific method and technology. Although difficult to assess quantitatively, students I have had in successive geoscience courses have retained this skill-base and have successfully applied in a new course.