THE APPLICATION OF THE COMPLEX FIELD OF GEODESY TO AN ENTRANCE-LEVEL COLLEGE COURSE USING COGNITIVE LEARNING TECHNIQUES

The study of the shape of the Earth is called geodesy. It is a complex and rich field, encompassing GPS, the development of satellites to measure Earth, and the many applications of these measurements to better understand our planet. What is the best way to explain complex concepts to an entry-level college student, such as geodesy or gravitation? What is the most efficient way to peek a student's interest in an abstract field?

Two people are walking side by side on a crowded street. Do they talk? Do they look at each other? Do they laugh together? Do they touch? Even though the bond between these two people cannot necessarily be physically seen, it is possible, by looking at their behavior towards each other, to determine whether or not they know each other. If they do, they are attracted to one another, walking together in the same direction, exchanging ideas or laughs. The Moon attracts the Earth's oceans, forming tides. The Earth attracts the Moon into staying in orbit. They are attracted to each other by the invisible yet quantifiable force of gravitation.

In order to ensure that first year college students understand the concept and applications of geodesy, and find interest in the field, several teaching and learning techniques must be used. These techniques are compared to one another in terms of efficiency both by comparing the students' success through quizzes and discussions, and by comparing the students' enjoyment of and interest in the class through evaluations at the beginning and end of each class in order to assess how much material was learned, understood, and retained. This study is conducted via a short course with volunteer students. The course is a combination of lecture, discussion, experiments, and field work. Quizzes are used to evaluate not the students, but their improvement as a result of the efficacy of the teaching method. In class group and one on one discussions are used as the main part of the final grade.