DO STUDENTS USE MENTAL ANIMATION WHEN ANSWERING CONCEPTEST QUESTIONS ON RELATIVE PLATE MOTIONS?

The movement of tectonic plates is an active, dynamic process that is often illustrated by static images depicting plate features, however conceptest questions (CTQs) assessing student comprehension of plate tectonic processes often ask students to determine the relative plate motion given information presented on a static geologic map or cross-section. Our students then must correctly interpret the image and infer the motions of each plate. Cognitive psychologists define mental animation (MA) as the ability whereby individuals infer movement from a static image. This pilot study assessed whether undergraduate students use mental animation when answering conceptest questions (CTQs) regarding relative plate motions.

Twenty undergraduate students taking an introductory geology course answered 69 questions using an eye-tracking system followed by a 30 minute semi-structured interview. The interview allowed students to elaborate on their thinking and answer questions regarding the strategies they used to arrive at their answer. Forty-four of the questions modeled Hegarty’s (1992) research that defined MA. Students were shown a cross-section showing a mid-ocean ridge with two associated subduction zones and asked True/False questions that targeted either a static/spatial relationship shown in the image or a dynamic movement of one plate. Students also answered six CTQs that required them to infer relative plate motions based on data provided on a simplified tectonic map.

Preliminary results suggest that students do not use mental animation when interpreting either a tectonic cross-section or a map illustrating plate features. Contrary to Hegarty’s findings, the students from this study did not use significantly more time to answer questions regarding kinematic processes (plate motions) than static (spatial) features shown on the image. Similarly, response times were similar when asked to determine the relative plate motions at varying distances from the mid-ocean ridge. Furthermore, eye-fixation patterns and interview responses suggest that students answer CTQs pertaining to plate tectonics by applying a rules-based strategy based on one or two pieces of data. (Hegarty, J. Exp. Psych. v18, p 1084-1102)