BUILDING BRIDGES: ENGAGING STUDENTS BY CONNECTING THE CLASSROOM TO THE FIELD

The success of the geoscience program at Illinois Central College is strongly tied to the field experiences we share with our students. Introduction to Physical Geology requires local field trips with activities designed by individual faculty. These trips are done towards the end of the semester so students can apply concepts they’ve learned in the classroom to specific field areas. We also offer an 18-day regional field geology course, designed for non-majors, that covers points of geologic interest in the western U.S. Even though our students are typically non-majors, our program has been a springboard for many transfer students who complete both B.S. and M.S. degrees in the geosciences. These students have excelled at their transfer institutions and in field camp. Field experiences are an important part of learning geology as “hand on” learning enhances understanding of the geologic concepts taught in class.