THE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES: A NEED FOR ADAPTABILITY AND INNOVATION IN TEACHING GEOSCIENCES
Most CCC geology students have not completed high school or college chemistry and physics – nor intend to take additional geology or science coursework. CCC instructors are challenged to find and implement better ways to build interest, understanding and retention of basic processes of inquiry and observation, understanding of basic processes of physical sciences, and learning geology.
The author gives examples of effective communication of key concepts made to students without equipment or visual or other aids. Key concepts include physical and geologic processes that are experientially familiar to nearly every student.
The author brings students back to ordinary childhood, adolescent and adult experiences to reveal analogies to key physical and chemical processes to understand geology. Key concepts that are explained this way include evaporation, freezing and crystallization, processes of buoyancy, the flow of solids and viscous fluids, and the behavior of fluid under pressure. Related geologic concepts include controls on weathering, susceptibility of crust to subduction, and other fundamentals. When taught by reference to common student experiences, these concepts are easily understood and remembered and allow students to better understand geology as well as physics and chemistry.