DESIGNING A FIELD METHODS COURSE FOR REGIONAL CAMPUS STUDENTS IN THE UNDEFORMED ROCKS OF SOUTHERN OHIO: EXPLOITING THE SERPENT MOUND IMPACT STRUCTURE FOR EFFICIENT WEEKEND GEOENVIRONMENTAL FIELD TRIPS

Providing diverse field experiences for a broadening geoscience student population is critical for career development. The geology of SW Ohio is dominated by undeformed, finely bedded Upper Ordovician limestone and shale exposed by the Cincinnati arch and overlain by Pleistocene glacial sediments. Although rich in sedimentological features, these rocks are not conducive for teaching field approaches to deformed lithologies. The Serpent Mound structure, located on the edge of the Appalachian plateau in south central Ohio, is a 245 Ma bolide impact site that has been deeply eroded and provides a single opportunity to study inclined and deformed rocks.

We present a case study of a set of exercises used in a newly designed geoenvironmental field methods course which serves both geology and environmental earth science majors at Miami University-Hamilton, an Ohio regional campus. Students served at this campus commonly have work and family obligations, creating a demand for an efficient field methods course that can be executed over extended weekend trips at locations like the Serpent Mound structure. Thus the exercises are designed to maximize field trip time for students by utilizing pre-labs to build a knowledge base and basic geoenvironmental field skills. The content of the course focuses on mineral and rock identification, rock unit equivalency, formation identification, fracture analysis, and geomorphologic processes and activities include safety preparation guidance to mimic health and safety plans encountered in industry career paths. Additionally, students employ statistical means to analyze data such as mean, median, mode, variance, error, correlation coefficients, and T-tests. Each section of the course culminates in higher level activities including field-based hypothesis generation and testing, evaluation of sources of error and identification of complexity while creating geologic and environmental reports. A flexible set of pre- and post-assignment assessments are described that can be employed to evaluate student growth.

The exercises and assessment tools developed for the Serpent Mound structure provide a framework for regional campuses and traditional universities in the region to utilize and modify for field methodology classes in the undisturbed rocks of Ohio.