ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Through Their Eyes: Tracking the Gaze of Students in a Geology Field Course
Author: Maltese, Adam V.
Date: 2013-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Eye Movements,Geology,Video Technology,Observation,Field Instruction,Maps,Earth Science,Science Instruction,Science Teachers,College Students

The focus of this research was to investigate how students learn to do fieldwork through observation. This study addressed the following questions: (1) Can mobile eye-tracking devices provide a robust source of data to investigate the observations and workflow of novice students while participating in a field exercise? If so, what are the strengths and limitations of mobile eye tracking? (2) If these devices offer a unique source of data to investigate student work, what findings might be helpful for improving field instruction? To address these questions, we used mobile eye-tracking devices in a pilot study to collect video from students completing mapping exercises during a geology field course. Data were collected from six students participating in two different parts of an exercise where they were asked to create geological maps of an area based on their field observations. From this study, we learned that conducting eye-tracking research in field conditions is technically demanding and operationally difficult. We found that most of our analysis was based on reviewing the scene video and did not require the eye-tracking information. In reviewing the scene videos, substantive features of students' observational practices were exposed. We found that students struggle with foundational mapping practices, miss opportunities to collect key data, and are often distracted or disengaged during direct instruction. We observed instances of swarm behavior where students tend to group around outcrops even when nominally working independently. We also noted key differences in student behavior working individually compared with group mapping. We believe these findings provide data for geoscience educators to consider when thinking about ways in which to develop the observational skills of their students and to design appropriate field course instruction.
Not Just &quot;Rocks for Jocks&quot;: Who Are Introductory Geology Students and Why Are They Here?
Author: Gilbert, Lisa A.
Date: 2012-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Undergraduate Students,Introductory Courses,Geology,Student Attitudes,Student Motivation,Demography,Student Characteristics,Course Selection (Students),Learning Strategies,Questionnaires,General Education,Required Courses,Difficulty Level,Age Differences,Majors (Students),Student Interests,Statistical Analysis,Gender Differences,Racial Differences

Do students really enroll in Introductory Geology because they think it is &quot;rocks for jocks&quot;? In this study, we examine the widely held assumption that students view geology as a qualitative and remedial option for fulfilling a general education requirement. We present the first quantitative characterization of a large number of Introductory Geology students, their demographic characteristics and motivations at the start of the course, and their reasons for enrolling. More than 1,000 undergraduate students from seven institutions across the U.S. participated in this study, providing demographic information and responses to the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. Students taking Introductory Geology either to fulfill a general education requirement (72% of the survey population) or because they thought it would be easy (19%) had relatively low motivation. The youngest students (18 or 19 years, 62% of the survey population) and those who had not declared a major or were planning a nonscience major (79%) also had relatively low motivation. In contrast, students taking the course for a major or minor (26%), because of prior interest in geology (31%), or because of interest in the interactions between humans and the environment (15%) had relatively high motivation. The differences in motivation we identify have important implications for Introductory Geology instructors, particularly those teaching large-enrollment courses, and validate the need for understanding student characteristics when designing course goals and selecting instructional strategies.
The Development of SAH Reading Passage Compendium: A Tool for the Assessment of Reading Performance Related to Visual Function
Author: Chen, Ai-Hong
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Visual Perception,Reading Achievement,Textbooks,Indonesian,Reading Materials,Native Language,Language of Instruction,Foreign Countries,Factor Analysis,Reading Tests,Sentence Structure,Readability,Audio Equipment,Reading Rate,Reliability,Visual Acuity,Graphs,Elementary School Students

Passages with continuous sentences are commonly used for the assessment of reading performance related to visual function, and rehabilitation in optometric practices. Passages created in native languages are crucial for a reliable interpretation in a real scenario. This study aimed to report the development of SAH Reading Passage Compendium (SAHRPC), as a tool for the assessment of reading performance related to visual function. SAHRPC uses the Malay language as the medium of communication. The development of the SAHRPC encompassed three stages: exploratory, confirmatory and prototyping. In the exploratory stage, 300 sentences were extracted from the standard school textbook (in the Malay language) endorsed by the Ministry of Education, Malaysia. The accumulated reading materials were processed based on two deciding factors: continuous sentence structure and predetermined total number of words. A total of 56 passages were constructed with equal readability, based on a simple &quot;5 continuous sentences structure of 50 words&quot; combination. In the confirmatory stage, the 56 passages were verified by normal sighted native Malay speakers. The reading duration was measured using a stopwatch, while the errors were recorded using an audiotape. Reading speed was quantified in words per minute (wpm). Three passages were first eliminated based on the outliers present in the boxplot graph. Eleven passages were further eliminated based on the 10 % highest error and 5 % of the two extreme ends of the reading speed range. The remaining 42 passages with good reliability were randomly compiled into 3 sets of 13 passages. Thirteen passages in each set were randomly sorted into 13 print sizes, ranged from 1.2 logMAR to 0.0 logMAR. The interchangeability of the 3 sets was inspected and confirmed. A prototype was developed and packaged as the SAHRPC, to be used as a tool for the assessment of reading performance related to visual function, and rehabilitation purposes.
On the Relationship between Listening and Speaking Grades of Al-Balqa Applied University English as a Foreign Language Students
Author: Abu-Snoubar, Tamador K.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Undergraduate Students,Listening Skills,Speech Skills,Second Language Learning,English (Second Language),Gender Differences,Listening Comprehension Tests,Speech Tests,Online Courses,Computer Assisted Testing,Required Courses,Statistical Analysis,Correlation

This paper aims at exploring the relation between the two skills of listening and speaking. In addition, it tries to investigate the presence of any gender differences in this relation. To achieve these ends, the listening and speaking exams marks of (122) EFL students registered in the &quot;English 102&quot; on-line compulsory course were analyzed using SPSS. The findings proved the existence of a positive relation between the two skills (r = 0.433). The Independent Sample T-Test also proved that there were significant statistical differences at (a = 0.05) level due to gender differences in the correlation between the listening and speaking abilities among Al-Balqa Applied University EFL students in favor of the females.
Promoting Respect as a Human Value in a Public School
Author: Corzo, Josefina Quintero
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Elementary School Students,Public Schools,Prosocial Behavior,Moral Values,Ethical Instruction,Case Studies,Student Behavior,Peer Relationship,Group Activities,Cooperative Learning,Games,Teamwork,Values Education,Second Language Learning,Teacher Education Programs,Observation,Workshops

This is a case study report arising from a series of daily observations of the students' behavior made in a primary public school located near to the capital city, Manizales-Colombia, where it was possible to notice the difficulties students had in order to coexist due to the lack of respect with their classmates, in group activities or actually working in pairs throughout the foreign language class. The aim of this investigative project was to counteract the daily levels of aggressiveness presented by the students among themselves, to promote good teamwork and respect as an important issue in a good coexistence. Based on the observed settings, the results revealed that it was possible to highlight the necessity of learning to live together and to enhance the value of respect for others creating new ways of working in terms of coexistence. Promoting human values in the classroom brought profit for children and was fundamental in primary school from their earliest ages, due to the school must play a leading role in the construction of integral citizens, for a better society. Some of the activities, contents and games after being applied such as bingo, lotteries, word searches, puzzles, animal behavior and others, generated a connection between meaningful language learning, good teamwork and human relations. These classroom strategies became new alternatives for a teacher training program that claimed for immediate and demanding solutions to improve children's character development inside public schools.
Museum-Based Teacher Professional Development: Peabody Fellows in Earth Science
Author: Pickering, Jane
Date: 2012-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Museums,Faculty Development,Earth Science,High Schools,Secondary School Teachers,Middle School Teachers,Teaching Skills,Summer Programs,Workshops,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Academic Achievement,Program Effectiveness,Teacher Surveys,Pretests Posttests

The Peabody Fellows in Earth Science program was a professional development opportunity for middle and high school teachers to enhance their knowledge of, and teaching skills in, the Earth sciences. It combined a summer institute and academic year workshops with the production of new curricular resources on the interpretation of landforms in Connecticut. Teachers implemented these materials with the aid of an accompanying classroom kit. The program included in-depth evaluation of the project outcomes for teachers and students; focused on tectonic processes; and on erosion, weathering, and glaciers. Forty-seven teachers participated in the institute, 30 taught the full curriculum, and 21 completed all the evaluation activities. Teachers reported that they had significantly increased their geoscience content knowledge as well as their ability to teach geoscience-related skills, particularly in guiding students to make observations and inferences about the local landscape. In the majority of cases for teachers that completed all evaluation activities, there was a significant increase in student performance in at least one learning goal as a result of the teachers' participation in the program. These data show this type of informal-formal educational initiative can be highly successful in improving teacher competence and student learning in the geosciences. They also provide evidence that positive proximal outcomes for the teachers are reflected in the ultimate outcomes for students.
Using Students&apos; Sketches to Recognize Alternative Conceptions about Plate Tectonics Persisting from Prior Instruction
Author: Smith, Gary A.
Date: 2012-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Plate Tectonics,Prior Learning,Science Instruction,Freehand Drawing,Misconceptions,College Science,Geology,Knowledge Level,Scientific Concepts,Introductory Courses,Undergraduate Students

Should instructors assume that students possess conceptual knowledge of plate tectonics when they reach a second college geoscience course? Five cohorts in a historical geology course over 5 y--a total of 149 students--completed an in-class assignment in which they drew sketches of plate boundaries with required annotations. Analysis of the sketches revealed that most students lack an explanatory mental model that links the locations of earthquakes, volcanoes, and magma generation to plate-boundary processes and hold a pervasive alternative conception of Earth's interior structure that does not distinguish between compositional and rheological boundaries. Students who drew sketches that illustrated the most alternative conceptions also scored lower on a beginning-of-the-course administration of the Geoscience Concept Inventory, showing that conceptual understanding of plate tectonics correlates with overall conceptual geoscience knowledge obtained during previous course experiences. In addition, students tracking to the historical geology course via an introductory physical geology course showed stronger conceptual understanding of plate tectonics than those choosing an Earth-system science prerequisite, with those students previously enrolled in both courses illustrating the fewest alternative conceptions.
Using Sieving and Unknown Sand Samples for a Sedimentation-Stratigraphy Class Project with Linkage to Introductory Courses
Author: Videtich, Patricia E.
Date: 2012-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Introductory Courses,Undergraduate Students,Undergraduate Study,Geology,Statistics,Observation,Science Instruction,Student Projects

Using sieving and sample &quot;unknowns&quot; for instructional grain-size analysis and interpretation of sands in undergraduate sedimentology courses has advantages over other techniques. Students (1) learn to calculate and use statistics; (2) visually observe differences in the grain-size fractions, thereby developing a sense of specific size ranges, weight percentages being plotted, and how grain composition and properties are a function of size; (3) are enthusiastic and observant as they search for clues of the origin of their sample, but discover that determining depositional environments using grain-size analysis is not the hoped for &quot;fingerprinting&quot; technique; and (4) enjoy learning the geographic origin and depositional environment of their sample. Plus, sieving equipment generally is less costly to acquire and maintain than &quot;black box&quot; techniques, and sieving is a commonly used procedure in industry. Using unknown sand samples results in some students making &quot;incorrect&quot; interpretations, which allows for illustrating that a scientist may have an excellent data set and a valid interpretation based on that data but, although the data are sound, the interpretation may be erroneous. Moreover, using a suite of unknowns allows students in a class to collectively be exposed to sands from a range of environments and geographic locales without the need for local sediment-rich environments. Building a set of unknowns is aided by recruiting students in introductory geology courses to collect and document samples during their school-break travels for future &quot;unknowns,&quot; thereby linking courses and creating interest among nonmajors. When these students venture into the field to collect a sample and characterize the environment, they are enticed into thinking about sedimentary processes and possible anthropogenic effects, such as beach nourishment, while on break.
Teaching Environmental Geochemistry: An Authentic Inquiry Approach
Author: Koretsky, Carla M.
Date: 2012-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Undergraduate Students,Geology,Chemistry,Environmental Education,Inquiry,Natural Resources,Water,Science Process Skills,Laboratory Training,Teamwork,Communication Skills,Water Quality,Science Instruction,Science Activities,Course Evaluation,Science Tests,Science Achievement,Knowledge Level,Hands on Science,Student Surveys,Semi Structured Interviews

A field-based environmental geochemistry course was developed at Western Michigan University for undergraduate geosciences and environmental studies students to (1) improve student understanding of complex environmental systems, specifically targeting lake systems; (2) facilitate student development of professional-level, field- and laboratory-based skills for lake water and sediment analysis; and (3) strengthen student teamwork and communication skills. In this course, students designed and completed a study of water quality in a local kettle lake. The instructor used short &quot;question of the day&quot; exercises, brief lectures, and in-class exercises to familiarize students with analytical and field techniques relevant to the posed problem. At the end of the semester, students presented their work in a public poster session and written report submitted to a local community association. The course was assessed using student work, a preinstruction experience survey, a postinstruction course evaluation, a pre- and postinstruction knowledge test, and a series of interviews with select students. Analysis of the full suite of assessment data suggests that students developed a significantly improved understanding of lake systems and the process of eutrophication and perceived that the course improved their analytical and interpersonal skills. However, lower-performing students (i.e., those with a lower grade point average) and students with weaker backgrounds in geochemistry tended to provide less sophisticated test responses and showed less ability to transfer knowledge gained in the course to other environmental systems. Overall, students reported a strong sense of satisfaction with the authentic inquiry and community-oriented nature of the course. Compared to students in the first year of the course, students in the second offering appeared to be somewhat less excited and engaged, which may reflect a perceived lack of novelty and new discovery about the field site and study question. Thus, to insure continued high levels of engagement of students in subsequent years, we recommend periodically shifting either the field site or the central research question addressed by the class.
Earthlearningidea: A Worldwide Web-Based Resource of Simple but Effective Teaching Activities
Author: King, Chris
Date: 2013-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Earth Science,Science Instruction,Web Based Instruction,Science Activities,Active Learning,Inquiry,International Cooperation,Thinking Skills,Prediction,Web Sites,Electronic Publishing,Feedback (Response),Foreign Countries

Earthlearningidea was developed, without funding, to publish a new Web-based earth science teaching idea every week during the International Year of Planet Earth (2008); during 2009, publication continued, but at monthly intervals. The activities were mostly practically based and were aimed particularly at teachers and teacher educators in the developing world, who teach in classrooms with minimal resources, and they aimed to develop active and inquiry-based learning approaches. Earthlearningidea's success is indicated by the fact that, by December 2009, 69 activities had been published, activity PDF files had been downloaded more than 110,000 times, and the blog had been accessed in 152 countries, with positive feedback from many teaching situations. Many of the Earthlearningideas had also been translated into Spanish, Italian, Norwegian, and Chinese (Mandarin). Analysis of those who accessed the Earthlearningideas showed that the majority were from the more developed world. Thus, during 2010-2011, the activities, which were published each fortnight, were created to be slightly more sophisticated than previous activities, for example, in using equipment likely to be available in a school science laboratory, or more abstract ideas. The &quot;stop press&quot; update shows that the success of Earthlearningidea, measured by a range of indicators, is increasing. We ask all our readers to access the site, use the activities, give us blog feedback, and &quot;tell their friends&quot; across the globe.
A Service-Learning Project on Volcanoes to Promote Critical Thinking and the Earth Science Literacy Initiative
Author: Nunn, Jeffrey A.
Date: 2013-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Undergraduate Students,Honors Curriculum,Geology,Service Learning,Student Projects,Physical Geography,Critical Thinking,Earth Science,Literacy,Student Teaching,Student Developed Materials,Instructional Materials,Citizenship Responsibility,Public Speaking,Research Papers (Students),Interviews,Reflection,Peer Evaluation,Teamwork,Communication Skills,Revision (Written Composition),Taxonomy,Program Evaluation

Students in Honors Physical Geology at Louisiana State University (LSU) participated in instruction in eighth- to ninth-grade geology and geography classes in East Baton Rouge Parish Schools (EBRPS) to help meet community needs. LSU students created instructional materials and reflected on the service activity to gain a deeper understanding of course objectives, an appreciation of Earth science as it relates to the global community, and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility. The service-learning project focused on an historical volcanic eruption and consisted of four parts distributed throughout the semester: K-12 teacher interview, research paper, poster and presentation to peers, and classroom teaching. Reflection, peer review, teamwork, and revision were emphasized. Presentations focused on Earth Science Literacy Initiative (ESLI)'s &quot;Big Ideas&quot; (e.g., humans can mitigate but not control natural hazards). LSU students' perception of their learning from reflections/class evaluations indicated that they moved from &quot;remembering-understanding&quot; to &quot;analyzing-evaluating-creating&quot; within Bloom's Taxonomy hierarchy. LSU students also gained valuable experience in creating, reviewing, and revising written and oral communication. Based on K-12 teacher responses, EBRPS students learned about volcanoes, deepened their understanding of plate tectonics, and learned about college. Service learning requires a strong desire for collaboration among all participants. Communication and coordination are vital to success so that everyone has the same expectations, knows his/her role, and problems are identified and resolved.