ACTIVE LEARNING WITH A THREE-DIMENSIONAL MAN-MADE OUTCROP ADVANCES GEOLOGICAL EDUCATION AT A TWO-YEAR COLLEGE - LONE STAR COLLEGE

Physical Geology students at Lone Star College-University Park (LSC-UP) have benefitted from the active learning techniques advocated by Heather MacDonald in incorporation with a semester-length project at LSC-UP's man-made Rock Wall since Fall 2018. With area partners, LSC-UP constructed an 1100 square-foot three-dimensional, three-story, indoor tiled ‘outcrop’ on campus to provide field experience, since the greater Houston area lacks hard rock exposures. Students evolve their initial observations and interpretations alongside course content, with the goal to eventually synthesize all the information and reconstruct the Rock Wall’s geologic history. Much of their learning occurs during active learning and while they work on this ‘outcrop’, so students must come to class prepared to engage. To this purpose, eight instructors across the LSC-UP department participated in SAGE Workshops and implemented active learning strategies in their classrooms.

Students better retain content because of techniques like gallery walks, jigsaws, and group concept sketches combined with higher levels of critical thinking and collaborative skills necessary for the project. Student success is difficult to measure this early after implementation, but student interest in majoring in geoscience-related fields seems to be increasing suggesting an improved science identity. Course evaluations indicate that students find the project challenging yet enjoyable, and that the in-class active learning activities prepared them for the project. Based on preliminary feedback and the desire to develop introductory geology students’ critical thinking and collaborative skills, LSC-UP Geology instructors will continue to develop active-learning strategies to pair with the Rock Wall project.