Implementation of a Voluntary Research-Based Project to Enhance Undergraduate Involvement In the Scientific Process In Mineralogy

Research opportunities for students in the geosciences are typically reserved for senior level undergraduates fulfilling a senior thesis requirement or graduate students. Far too often the opportunity for research evades the undergraduate early in their college career if not entirely. In recognition of this problem, recent modifications were made to the Earth Materials (GEOL 3010) curriculum at the University of Georgia (UGA) to include a collaborative research component. Earth Materials at UGA is a prerequisite course for several other classes and is typically taken early in the undergraduate's career thus providing the research opportunity before the end of the student's second year.

The collaborative project involved the identification and chemical characterization of a previously unidentified suite of zeolites associated with fractures in a granite body at Blue Quarry, Elberton, Georgia. The project emphasized skills learned during lecture and lab: X-ray diffraction, microprobe analysis, optical properties and thin section preparation. Volunteers attended bimonthly meetings throughout the semester to discuss results and assess progress. Students documented all aspects of their work in notebooks dedicated to the project. Upon project completion, participants contributed to the writing of an abstract that was accepted at the southeast section of the Geological Society of America annual meeting.

Student motivation for the project was maintained beyond the conclusion of the Earth Materials course. Based upon student comments and course evaluations, we conclude that participant motivation for the project were the result of the following: 1) Participants recognized the value of skill acquisition applicable to future research endeavors; 2) participants recognized the value of skill rehearsal and success in classroom assessment measures; 3) participants were afforded the opportunity to choose specific research objectives; 4) participants viewed the defense of the abstract as a more authentic experience than an in-class presentation or project.