TEACHER PERCEPTIONS OF AN INTRODUCTION TO VIRTUAL FIELD EXERCISES IN AN ONLINE GEOLOGY CLASSROOM

Google Earth is an interactive program permitting users to investigate the geology and geography of our planet. By manipulating a virtual globe superimposed with satellite or high-resolution aerial imagery and global digital terrain data, users are able to enjoy a virtual field experience while examining the geology of our continents and oceans. In the Fall 2007 semester, we assigned Google Earth activities within quarterly homework laboratory exercises in an online geology course composed primarily of practicing teachers. The activities required students to download the free version of Google Earth, complete a series of identifications, and solve activity-related problems. The first Google Earth assignments involved the geometry of the Earth and basic latitude/longitude determination; these were then supplemented with activities utilizing volcanic landforms, topographic profiles, geologic mapping, and investigation of folds, faults, coastlines, fluvial systems, deserts, and glacial regions. In this trial study, exercises were posted as PDF files, and the online instructor was available to answer questions. A total of 129 students utilized the Google Earth activities, and anonymous opinions were sought via optional survey at the end of the semester. The majority of students (n = 99) participated in the survey. While many students reported that they enjoyed the modern technology of Google Earth in the classroom, some students felt frustrated with the format of the assignment. Content analysis of student responses revealed three stable suggestions for optimizing Google Earth within the online environment: Google Earth activities should be modeled by the instructor via video lectures; Google Earth activities should be supplemented with identified landform examples in each assignment (through online video or posted photographic identifications); and the number of geologic identifications required in each assignment should be optimized for learning. Students identified overwhelming benefits of Google Earth implementation in the online classroom as the investigation of the “real-life picture” of Earth as opposed to diagrams, the use of online mapping technology in distance learning, and the subsequent application of Google Earth within their own classrooms.