REFORMING GEOLOGY COURSES FOR MAJORS AND NON-MAJORS USING PEER INSTRUCTION AND OTHER INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING STRATEGIES: QUANTITATIVE RESULTS

Quantitative analyses of data collected in inquiry-based general education Earth Science courses indicate that 1) success in science courses is directly related to the ability to think logically, 2) logical thinking skills improve over one semester in an inquiry-based course for all cognitive levels, 3) students with highest risk to fail the course benefit the most from this teaching approach and 4) the inquiry-based approach using small groups (using peer teaching) is superior to the individual inquiry approach. The University of Akron Geology Department faculty reorganized their introductory courses by developing a list of general goals pertinent to all introductory courses. Top tier goals centered on student ability to understand and apply the scientific method, problem solving and understanding of major Earth systems and how they interact. Middle tier goals focused on improving student awareness of their surroundings and use of quantitative data. Other objectives of the reorganization dealt with communication of scientific results, evaluating scientific information found in the mass media, separation of science and pseudo-science and working in groups. Specific learning goals and assessment techniques were developed in nine Earth System topic areas. Top tier goals were incorporated into every topic area. Middle and lower tier goals were added where appropriate in the context of the class. An example learning module centered on understanding plate boundaries. Knowledge-level objectives are relegated to the student since they involve understanding of terminology, definitions, facts and understanding of diagrams displayed in most textbooks. The defining features matrix assigned as individual homework is used to determine if there are significant misconceptions at this level of comprehension. Learning teams (3 or 4 person) are provided a series of map-view images that display epicenters (color coded for depth), volcano locations, bathymetry and topography. Student groups are required to apply their defining matrix to make predictions at the application level and compare and contrast boundaries at the synthesis level in order to foster critical thinking skills. The final aspect of this exercise requires students to draw first-order illustrations of the lithosphere at the boundary.