COMMUNICATING GEOSCIENCE CONCEPTS IN THE CLASSROOM AND BEYOND USING SHORT VIDEO-BASED RESOURCES

We created a series of short geoscience videos on a range of topics to support an introductory geology course. Videos are presented in two forms: 1) Relatively brief 5-7 minutes long videos designed for pre-class viewing in a flipped class setting; and, 2) Even shorter (2-3 minute) mini-videos to support supplemental instruction and/or class demonstrations. Videos were made using a stylus, tablet, microphone and video editing software. Essentially, we narrate a slide, sketch a diagram or explain a figure while describing the concept illustrated by what is projected onto the tablet. During the creation of the videos we considered aspects of effective multimedia design (e.g., spatial and temporal contiguity, modality, coherence) that have been shown to enhance student learning.

We shared the videos via a YouTube channel, GeoScienceVideos (http://youtube.com/c/Geosciencevideos/), to make them available to a wider audience. On the basis of total views, the most popular videos characterize rock types, explain the process that occur at plate boundaries, and describe basic concepts such as fault classification and porosity and permeability. YouTube has the potential to communicate geoscience content and support learning in a much more diverse audience than found in a typical introductory science classroom.

Additionally, videos were used to create a flipped classroom in Introductory Physical Geology classes at North Carolina State University. A typical flipped video lesson would contain specific parts that can be matched against a similar textbook assignment to allow for comparison of student performance in different learning environments. In the context of this study, students were given a video or text-based resource followed by a series of assessments featuring knowledge and comprehension questions. Overall, students who viewed video-based resources showed greater learning gains and had higher confidence in their learning than students who had completed equivalent textbook reading assignments.