ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Barriers to College Students Learning How Rocks Form
Author: Kortz, Karen M.
Date: 2009-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Barriers,College Science,College Students,Geology,Concept Formation,Scientific Concepts,Interviews,Questionnaires,Misconceptions,Time,Earth Science,Qualitative Research

Students do not have a good understanding of how rocks form. Instead, they have many non-scientific alternative conceptions to explain different aspects of rock formation. Using 10 interviews and nearly 200 questionnaires filled out by students at four different colleges, we identified many alternative conceptions students have about rock formation. We then used themes within those alternative conceptions to identify the underlying conceptual barriers that cause them. Conceptual barriers are deeply-held conceptions that prevent students from understanding scientific explanations. One conceptual barrier can cause many alternative conceptions, and alternative conceptions can be the result of more than one conceptual barrier. The seven conceptual barriers identified in the study that prevent students from understanding rock formation are Deep Time, Changing Earth, Large Spatial Scale, Bedrock, Materials, Atomic Scale, and Pressure. Because of these conceptual barriers, students cannot form scientifically correct mental models of how rocks form, resulting in alternative conceptions, so the conceptual barriers need to be overcome before students truly learn the scientific explanations of how rocks form. The results of this study can be applied to other areas of geology in addition to rock formation.
A Cognitive Framework for Reasoning with Scientific Models
Author: Sibley, Duncan F.
Date: 2009-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Models,Geology,Cognitive Processes,Logical Thinking,Scientific Concepts,Teaching Methods,Maps,Evaluation,Generalization

Humans reason by analogy (Lakoff and Johnson, 1980; Gentner, 1983; 2003; Hofstadter, 2001, 2006; Pinker, 2007). Some have further argued that analogs can be scientific models (Hesse, 1966, Clement, 1989) although clearly not all analogies are models. Analogies based on mere physical similarity are not equivalent to scientific models but analogies based on shared relationships between the analog and target maybe equivalent to scientific models. A literature review of analogies and scientific models indicates that all scientific models in geology are relational analogs. Relational analogs are equivalent to models because both: 1) are based on recognizing relational characteristics of the analog (or model) and target, 2) map similarities and differences between the analog (or model) and target and 3) support inferences about the target based on relational similarities between the target and analog (or model). Therefore, the cognitive processes involved in analogical thinking provide a theoretical, research-based framework for instruction designed to improve students' ability to learn how to use and generate scientific models.
Environmental Media Phase-Tracking Units in the Classroom
Author: Langseth, David E.
Date: 2009-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Environmental Education,Concept Teaching,Definitions,Measurement Techniques,Data Interpretation,Units of Study,Educational Media,Media Adaptation,Teaching Methods,Demonstrations (Educational),Science Education,Scientific Concepts,Scientific Methodology,Classroom Techniques

When teaching phase partitioning concepts for solutes in porous media, and other multi-phase environmental systems, explicitly tracking the environmental media phase with which a substance of interest (S0I) is associated can enhance the students' understanding of the fundamental concepts and derivations. It is common to explicitly track the customary mass, length, and time based units. The expansion described here is to also track the specific media phases to which these fundamental units apply. This additional step forces students to think more carefully about concentrations and other terms. This paper presents a consistent system of notation for teaching these concepts and some examples of how this svstem is used. The examples presented here are based on solid-liquid partitioning and a linear Freundlich adsorption isotherm, but could also be applied to other environmental media, such as air and biological tissue, as well as other partitioning models. This approach is most appropriate for advanced undergraduate and graduate students.
What Undergraduates Think about Clouds and Fog
Author: Rappaport, Elliot D.
Date: 2009-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Undergraduate Students,College Science,Weather,Scientific Concepts,Concept Formation,Knowledge Level,Energy,Interviews,Earth Science

Weather events are part of every student's experience, and are controlled by basic principles involving the behavior of matter and energy. Despite this, many students have difficulty explaining simple atmospheric phenomena, even after exposure to primary and secondary science curricula. This study investigated the level to which undergraduates understood the formation of clouds in the atmosphere, and how effectively they incorporated fundamental principles of matter and energy into their explanations. Interviews with earth science undergraduates at the University of Maine indicated that many had trouble with the correct identification of water in its different states, and were unable to name the sources of moisture in certain cases of cloud formation. If these misconceptions can be recognized and addressed directly by instructors, the potential exists to lead students to form better and more accurate mental models of weather.
Science as Storytelling for Teaching the Nature of Science and the Science-Religion Interface
Author: Bickmore, Barry R.
Date: 2009-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science Instruction,Teaching Methods,Scientific Principles,Preservice Teacher Education,Elementary School Science,Elementary School Teachers,Religion,Beliefs,Geology,Concept Formation,Student Attitudes,Controversial Issues (Course Content),Conflict,Story Telling,Program Evaluation,Program Effectiveness,Pretests Posttests,Student Surveys,Statistical Analysis,Scores

Here we describe a method for teaching the NOS called &quot;Science as Storytelling,&quot; which was designed to directly confront narve realist preconceptions about the NOS and replace them with more sophisticated ideas, while retaining a moderate realist perspective. It was also designed to foster a more sophisticated understanding of the science-religion interface, where occasional science-religion conflicts are seen as inevitable in cases where religious beliefs incorporate supernatural intervention in the natural world. We evaluated the program as implemented in a geology course for preservice elementary teachers at Brigham Young University, and showed that it was successful at helping students understand the tentative and creative aspects of scientific thought, and fostering more positive attitudes toward science. Our evaluation also showed that the students adopted a more irenic stance toward science-religion conflict. These results directly contradict fears that emphasizing the creative and tentative aspects of the NOS, and admitting that science and religion sometimes conflict, will cause students to reject scientific claims to an even greater degree.
An Empirical Methodology for Investigating Geocognition in the Field
Author: Petcovic, Heather L.
Date: 2009-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Earth Science,Pilot Projects,Geology,Mixed Methods Research,Research Design,Science Instruction,Undergraduate Students,Teaching Methods

The investigation of how geologists engage in field mapping, including strategies and behaviors, is an open area of research with significant potential for identifying connections to best instructional practices. While study of experts in an array of disciplines has yielded general conclusions about the nature of expertise, the consideration of geoscience experts, especially in authentic settings, is virtually unstudied. Field mapping involves a complex interplay between the individual mapper and the natural environment. Both cognition and behavior influence the observations and interpretations that ultimately yield the map, a representation of the natural world. We set out to establish a methodology, adapted from existing studies of expertise, that would allow us to document cognitive and behavioral processes involved in situated map-making and generate preliminary insights into expert-novice differences in mapping behavior and cognition. We present here a theoretically-driven, mixed methods methodology, and suggest that navigation coupled with field artifact and audio data provide the richest and most meaningful insights into geocognition in the field.
The Cube and the Poppy Flower: Participatory Approaches for Designing Technology-Enhanced Learning Spaces
Author: Casanova, Diogo
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Participative Decision Making,Design Preferences,Classroom Design,Technology Integration,Focus Groups,Student Surveys,Teacher Surveys,Space Utilization,Visualization,Change Strategies,Computer Assisted Design,Higher Education,Foreign Countries,Participatory Research

This paper presents an alternative method for learning space design that is driven by user input. An exploratory study was undertaken at an English university with the aim of redesigning technology-enhanced learning spaces. Two provocative concepts were presented through participatory design workshops during which students and teachers reflected and discussed the values of technology and provided insight into how to effectively embed technology in learning space design. The findings provide a set of recommendations for integrating technology with learning spaces and present alternative designs for the given concepts.
An Investigation of University Students&apos; Classroom Seating Choices
Author: Xi, Li
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Classroom Environment,College Students,Academic Achievement,Classroom Design,Class Size,Questionnaires,Student Surveys,Student Attitudes,Preferences,Cognitive Style,Correlation,Foreign Countries

The classroom is crucial for students, and seating position within the classroom can affect students' performance. This study conducted a survey to investigate the relationship between seating zones and academic performance among 174 university students in Beijing. The results revealed differences in student performance in terms of seating position in small- and medium-sized traditional classrooms. However, the results did not indicate a similar hierarchy of student performance in terms of seating zones in larger traditional classrooms, horseshoe classrooms, collaboration classrooms, and computer classrooms. Additionally, the results revealed that most students considered the layout of a classroom to affect their performance.
Engaging Students and Evaluating Learning Progress Using Collaborative Exams in Introductory Courses
Author: Eaton, Timothy T.
Date: 2009-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Introductory Courses,Test Format,Student Evaluation,Evaluation Methods,Achievement Gains,Teamwork,Lecture Method,Comparative Testing,Student Participation,College Students

Collaborative exams, with subsections in which students have an opportunity to work with each other, are not yet widely used in introductory geoscience courses. This type of exam structure, with other participatory teaching strategies, was employed in two different courses, and results were found to provide a sensitive and revealing tool for analyzing the progress of students' individual and collaborative learning throughout the semester. A somewhat different implementation of the collaborative exams in each course showed that overall student performance was significantly improved compared to performance in the individual part, even for middle and highest-achieving thirds of the student population, and progressive improvements in performance were followed through the semester. The implementation of collaborative exams in the first course involved an aspect of exam grading that provided an incentive for collaboration: the &quot;jackpot effect,&quot; which provided insight into the dynamics of peer interaction. The simpler implementation in the second course used a different approach in which the collaborative tests were less important to the total class grade, but also showed improvement in students' individual performance. Wider application of these methods could make a critical difference in reversing student apathy toward science in colleges and universities.
Fourth and Fifth Grade Students Learn about Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy through Inquiry
Author: Fortner, Sarah K.
Date: 2009-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Grade 4,Grade 5,Elementary School Students,Energy,Fuels,Earth Science,Food,Pollution,Pretests Posttests,Science Instruction,Teaching Methods,Environmental Education,Natural Resources

A classroom of eighteen fourth and fifth graders in the Columbus, Ohio Public School system successfully evaluated how people obtain fossil fuels, how they are limited in nature, and how they can develop renewable energy solutions. Students modeled oil-drilling using: chocolate syrup, rice cereal, a baster, and a clear container. Chocolate oil became more difficult to pump as oil supplies diminished. While pumping, chocolate oil spills contaminated the drill hole and students excavated the polluted substrate. Students next learned more about oil spills by conducting their own clean-ups of vegetable oil in mini tap water oceans. Students learned that &quot;solving&quot; the problem of the oil spill created new problems, including uninhabitable soapy oceans. This mimicked the failure of current technology to easily remediate oil spills. Finally to cultivate a better understanding of renewable energy, students built and tested solar ovens and discussed their benefits and limitations. After completing these activities, students showed a significant average improvement from their pretest to posttest understanding of renewable and nonrenewable resources. In addition, students were interested and excited to act on what they had learned.
Teaching Radioisotope Dating Using the Geology of the Hawaiian Islands
Author: Moran, Timothy J.
Date: 2009-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Geology,Teaching Methods,Science Instruction,Scientists,High School Students,Physics,Scientific Research,Radiology,Research Methodology

Students and the general public are often told that the chronology of ancient events is known with high confidence, but the methods used to determine how long ago an event occurred are usually not described or even mentioned. This gives the impression that the methods are either not important or that only scientists can understand them. Fortunately, many of the techniques are understandable if properly presented. Here one key method of dating ancient materials, argon/ potassium radioisotope dating, is described in detail. In addition, a dramatic example of its calibration is described using the geology of the Hawaiian Islands. Sample lessons used in a high school physics class are described and discussed.
Using Portable Media Players (iPod) to Support Electronic Course Materials during a Field-Based Introductory Geology Course
Author: Elkins, Joe T.
Date: 2009-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Introductory Courses,Geology,Handheld Devices,Educational Technology,Instructional Materials,Earth Science,Video Technology,Animation,Visual Aids,Computer Software,Teaching Methods,College Students

Electronic course materials, such a videos, PowerPoint presentations, and animations, have become essential educational tools in classroom-based geoscience courses to enhance students' introduction to basic geological concepts. However, during field trips, the ability to offer students these electronic conceptual supports is lacking where students and faculty are often without access to the electrical grid. The video iPod offers an inexpensive and reliable means by which to provide students access to a wide range of electronic course materials during field trips. GeoJourney, a nine-week fieldbased interdisciplinary introductory geoscience program at Bowling Green State University, is the first geology field program to use the entire range of the video iPod's capabilities to support electronic course materials while in the field. A video iPod was issued to each student at the beginning of the program, along with a battery back-up and a DC charging cable which was plugged into a custom wiring harness installed in the transport vehicles. Students were able to use the iPods during travel time, in the field on hikes and projects, and in their tents at night. Types of materials included videos, still images, animations, text, audio files, and enhanced podcasts. Students' response to the use of the iPods is overwhelmingly positive and suggest their use on GeoJourney also reduces &quot;novelty space&quot;.
Students&apos; Geocognition of Deep Time, Conceptualized in an Informal Educational Setting
Author: Clary, Renee M.
Date: 2009-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Architecture,Earth Science,Undergraduate Students,Science Instruction,Concept Mapping,Case Studies,Geology,Pretests Posttests,Statistical Analysis

Students in a Landscape Architecture Design 1 course (N = 25) at a research university in the southern US developed design solutions implementing geologic time for an informal education site. Those students who employed abstract metaphors for their designs (n = 8) were more successful than students who proceeded with a linear design construct. Pre- and posttest assessments using the Petrified Wood Survey and student-constructed timelines suggested that 1) 75% geoscience content knowledge is needed for successful design, and 2) relative understanding of Earth events and the barrenness of early Earth's landscape is also prerequisite for successful design implementation. Most revealing of students' cognitive processes were the concept statements and concept maps produced during the project. The concept statement forced students to address the project's requirements, take a position with their concept development of abstract metaphorical representation, and proceed with a final design solution. It appears that concept statements with accompanying concept maps facilitate student cognition by forcing student comprehension and application of geoscience content knowledge. We suggest that an inclusion of concept statements when teaching application of a complex Earth system or process may facilitate students' geoscience cognition in design and/or informal educational settings.
The Relationship between Instructors&apos; Conceptions of Geoscience Learning and Classroom Practice at a Research University
Author: Markley, C. T.
Date: 2009-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Attitudes,Earth Science,Research Universities,Educational Change,Observation,Science Education,Faculty Development,College Faculty,Science Curriculum,Undergraduate Study,College Science,Teacher Effectiveness,Beliefs,Teaching Methods,Interviews,Classroom Observation Techniques

Reform of undergraduate science education will need to be supported with effective professional development for current and future faculty. The professional development programs will need to address the knowledge, skills and beliefs of higher education faculty so that they can implement the kind of effective practices that results in the intended learning and meets the needs of diverse learners. To support the design of these programs, this research characterized the relationships between faculty's conceptions of teaching and learning on their teaching practices. Teaching faculty at a Doctoral/Research University were randomly interviewed to assess conceptions with respect to: 1) individual faculty learning, 2) student learning based on academic level, 3) how teaching is valued by the organization and 4) course goals. Additionally, classroom observations were conducted to determine the level of student-teacher interaction and cognitive engagement of the instructor and students with graphical and symbolic representations, as well as other manipulatives. Observations indicated teacher-centered classes across all academic levels. These data contrasted the subject's conceptions that cognitive and technical skill development is best achieved through self-directed learning. Analysis of the interviews and observations suggested the contradiction between learning practices the subject viewed as effective and the utilized teaching methods resulted from two major barriers: 1) the instructors' conceptions on the evolution of student learning and 2) an institutional reward structure that doesn't support the development of effective teaching practices.
Thai University Students&apos; Prior Knowledge about P-Waves Generated during Particle Motion
Author: Rakkapao, Suttida
Date: 2009-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Students,Prior Learning,Foreign Countries,Seismology,Scientific Concepts,Science Instruction,Earth Science,Motion,Teaching Methods,Plate Tectonics

The goal of this study is to identify Thai students' prior knowledge about particle motion when P-waves arrive. This existing idea significantly influences what and how students learn in the classroom. The data were collected via conceptual open-ended questions designed by the researchers and through explanatory follow-up interviews. Participants (n = 171) were freshmen in science, engineering, agricultural sciences, and medicine fields enrolled in a university in Thailand. The major categories of Thai students' prior knowledge about particle motion at P-wave arrival are (1) the belief that particles spread in all directions, like water waves, when P-waves arrive, (2) the belief that particles move forward with a sine wave motion, and that these particles travel with the propagating wave energy to the P-wave's final destination, (3) the belief that particles vertically move back and forth at P-wave arrival. These beliefs are the alternative conception held by more than three-quarter of our study population. The other held the scientific conception (category 4) that particles in a medium vibrate in the same direction as the propagating wave energy when Pwaves arrive, coupled with recognition that particles do not travel with the propagating energy. Recognizing the existence of this prior knowledge is vital to creating teaching strategies to promote the conceptual change approach, which is based on both historical Piagetian learning theory and the new trend &quot;knowledge in pieces&quot;, about particle motion and seismic energy, in particular, as well as earthquakes, in general.