Issuu

Geological Society of Australia

ABSTRACTS Number

131

4 Australasian Universities Geoscience Educators Network Meeting

Melbourne, 12-13 January 2015

Geological Society of Australia Abstracts 131 ,th

4 Australasian Universities Geoscience Educators Network Meeting

Melbourne, 12-13 January 2015

Program & Abstracts Editors: Sandra McLaren, Marion Anderson, Leslie Almberg

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

Geological Society of Australia Abstracts No. 131 Australasian Universities Geoscience Educators Network Meeting, Melbourne, Australia, 12-13 January, 2015 Editors: Sandra McLaren, Marion Anderson and Leslie Almberg

ISSN: 0729 Oil X © Geological Society of Australia Incorporated, 2015

Recommended citation for this volume: McLaren, S., Anderson, M., Almberg, L. (editors), 2015, Program & Abstracts, Australasian Universities Geoscience Educators Network Meeting, Melbourne, Australia. Geological Society of Australia Abstracts No. 131

Example citation for abstracts in this volume: Aitken, A.R.A., Lindsay, M.D., Dentith, M.C., 2015. Smart Maps, Smart Assessment? In: Program & Abstracts, Australasian Universities Geoscience Educators Network Meeting, Melbourne, Australia. Geological Society of Australia Abstracts No. 131, page 1.

Copies of this publication may be obtained from: Geological Society of Australia Inc., Suite 61,104 Bathurst Street, SYDNEY NSW 2000 Email: info@gsa,org.au

Australasia?! Universities Geoscience Educators Network logo design - Christoph Schrank (Queensland University of Technology)

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface

Workshop sponsors

Organising Committee

iii

General Information

Location maps, Carlton and University of Melbourne Parkville campus

v-vi

Program

vii-viii

Abstracts

1-31

List of workshop participants

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

PREFACE Welcome to Melbourne, and to the meeting of the Australasian Universities Geoscience Educators Network (AUGEN). This workshop follows on from highly successful previous meetings in Adelaide (2012), Townsville (2013) and Brisbane (2014) as our informal network continues to grow and build momentum. Each meeting has been characterised by collegial discussion and collaboration as we share our challenges, achievements and enthusiasm for geoscience teaching and learning at the tertiary level. Again, we are fortunate to have a wide ranging program of talks - and a few posters - to share at this meeting. Many thanks to all those who have submitted abstracts for presentation, certainly the meeting could not go ahead without your contributions. For the first time we have two invited keynote speakers from the education research disciplines, who will present on general issues of learning and teaching in the digital age that are relevant to many aspects of our own work. Other topics to be discussed include innovative course delivery, the development of new teaching tools, assessment, field teaching and first-year teaching challenges. Previous meetings have yielded successful collaborations between educators across the network and there is significant will to develop further projects and collaborations amongst group members. Developing ideas for such projects is one key aim of this year's workshop. Perhaps the most exciting news from 2014 was the award of an Office for Learning and Teaching grant to Michael Roach (University of Tasmania) and collaborators within the network for an innovative project to explore immersive visualisation in the Earth Sciences. This work will be based on photogrammetric methods and lead to the development of an open access digital atlas of Australia, containing photo realistic 3D models and 'deep-zoom' imagery from a wide range of key geological field sites across the country. An update on this project will be given during the workshop. Congratulations Michael! Once again the workshop has enjoyed the support of a range of professional geoscience groups - the Australian Geoscience Council, the Minerals Council of Australia, the Australian Institute of Geoscientists, the AusIMM, the Geological Society of Australia (Victorian Division) - as well as the University of Melbourne and Monash University. All sponsors are sincerely thanked for their support. We hope you have an enjoyable visit to Melbourne and a productive and successful workshop.

Sandra McLaren (University of Melbourne) Marion Anderson (Monash University) Leslie Almberg (Monash University)

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts, No. 131

WORKSHOP SPONSORS The Australasian Universities Geoscience Educators Network continues to benefit from generous sponsorship from various organizations. We sincerely thank the following groups for their much appreciated support and encouragement.

MONASH University

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts, No. 131

ORGANISING COMMITTEE Leslie Almberg

Monash University

Marion Anderson

Monash University

Sandra McLaren

The University of Melbourne

The organising committee would like to record their thanks to the School of Earth Sciences, University of Melbourne, and the School of Earth, Atmosphere & Environment, Monash University for their assistance in planning and hosting the workshop.

Ill

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

General information The workshop will be held in the Fritz Loewe Theatre and Skeats Laboratory, School of Earth Sciences (McCoy Building) University of Melbourne. The McCoy building is located on the corner of Elgin and Swanston Streets, Carlton (see map on following page). Tea and coffee will be available from 8:30 each morning in the foyer outside the venue theatre. There are also many good local cafes nearby, on campus and in Lygon Street. Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea will be provided for confirmed registrants on both days of the workshop. Wifi will be available via EDUroam

Conference Dinner A conference dinner will be held on Monday 12 January at Cafe Italia, University Street, Carlton, commencing at 6:30 pm. Meals and a bar selection are included for all confirmed registrants.

Other information Taxi - 1 3 1 008 Public transport within Melbourne - http: / /ptv^,^^^^^ Skybus from Melbourne airport to CBD - http: / / www.skybus.com.au / Luggage can be stored securely in the School of Earth Sciences on the final day of the workshop if necessary

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

Venue The main workshop venue is the Fritz Loewe Theatre, McCoy Building (Building 200), School of Earth Sciences, University of Melbourne. The University of Melbourne campus is conveniently located immediately north of the Melbourne CBD. Entry to the building is via either stairs or a ramp from Elgin Street, or the footbridge that crosses Swanston Street, connecting the McCoy Building to the main Parkville campus. The main tram stop from the CBD is located on Swanston Street immediately south of Faraday Street. There is also a tram stop immediately outside the McCoy Building, but only certain trams for the CBD continue along this route. For the full University of Melbourne Parkville Campus Map See http:/ /maps.unimelb.edu.au/parkville

of Melbourne . . , Melfooume/Swanstofv^ty Parkvile

MSOBuW i rn)i I a n Potitf M u s e u m # A r t

Hci

^100 m

^^^^er^ sfori PI

University of Melbourne

North^

Workshop venue Fritz Loewe Theatre, Level 2, School of Earth Sciences, McCoy Building c ^ '^ Q ^ EI§m$i/Lyg0n St@ <Y -BgmSt in }

University of Melbourne Parkville campus

t! Markov Place

I ^ f ^ M ^

hne St

Brjnetu Carlton

. Cinema Nam ^

"tJ

UniversityTrams to CBD Melboume/SwanstonSt » H<3III::> lU U along Swanston St J '''m

• I GratlanSt/SwarrsttMi^tQ KiC

^ I l a Mama f heau^

S 5£ P-' O

Dinner venue Cafe Italia University Street, Carlton B^lWestfern ^ Plus frn'M-tan

Papa Gino s

Oomirm'n P k m Carlton:

%dg€s on SwanstonCO liMfo,

Koko Black iygor- Sf. Cafl^on ^ Melbournf?

Carlion Gatdens Pnmary School

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131 \ ETICS TRACK CKEY PITCH

1 i

103 1

101

, , Click on '"•••yj Commer features

•SPORTS CENTRE

ST MARYS COLLEGE

308

^ ^

Workshop venue n. Fritz L o e w e Theatre, Level 2, McCoy B y i l d i i i g

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

PROGRAM Monday 12 January 8:30-9:15

Registration and coffee, McCoy Building Level 2 Foyer

9:15-9:30

OPENING REMARKS and welcome to Melbourne

Professor Richard James, Pro ViceChancellor (Academic) and Director of the Centre for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Melbourne

9:30-10:30

Keynote presentation - The learning challenge: Discovering the impact of our digital learning practices

Caroline Steel (La Trobe University)

10:30-11:00

MORNING TEA

11:00-11:20

Mineral supertrumps: a new card game to assist with mineralogy teaching (presented by Rob Holm)

Carl Spandler (James Cook University)

11:20-11:40

Smart Maps, Smart Assessment

Alan Aitken (University of Western Australia)

11:40-12:00

Blending geoscience learning and teaching at UniSA: the OUA and F2F experience

Tom Raimondo (University of South Australia)

12:00-12:20

Field teaching & virtual field trip technology: presentation on new OLT grant

Michael Roach (University of Tasmania)

12:20-1:20

LUNCH

1:20-1:50

Using a Virtual Petrographic Microscope in undergraduate teaching

Nathan Daczko (Macquarie University)

1:50-2:10

Geoscience graduates: Perspectives from the AusIMM - the Minerals Institute

Alison Fairmaid (AusIMM)

2:10-2:30

From paddock to tablet

Patrick Keleher & Andy Hammond (CQUniversity)

2:30-3:00

AFTERNOON TEA

3:00-3:20

MKR! Flipping Geoscience Teaching without technology

Pat James (University of South Australia)

3:20-3:40

The AGU GEOLEAD program

Penny King (Australian National University)

3:40-5:00

AUGEN AGM

5:00-6:00

Posters/general discussion and drinks & nibbles

6:30-9:30

CONFERENCE DINNER: Cafe Italia, University St, Carlton

VII

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

Tuesday 13 January 8:30-9:15

Coffee

9:15-10:15

Keynote presentation - Educational Hazards

Erik Brogt (University of Canterbury)

10:15-10:35

Geoscience Education in and for Indigenous Communities - lessons learned from the US Sharing the Land project

Eric Riggs (Texas A&M University)

10:35-11:00

MORNING TEA

11:00-11:20

An independent learning approach for introductory geosciences

11:20-11:50

A baker's dozen years of first year geology Karin Barovich (The University of teaching: Who has changed most - the student or Adelaide) the lecturer?

11:50-12:10

Teaching image interpretation to undergraduates

Michael Roach (University of Tasmania)

12:10-12:30

Being supportively confrontational: flipping the classroom, examples and ideas

Sanja van Huet (Deakin University)

12:30-12:50

Let us Rock Your World: making 'rocks and minerals' learning relevant and engaging for junior high school (Year 8) classes

Leah Moore (University of Canberra)

12:50-1:30

LUNCH

1:30-2:15

AUGEN project development. General discussion session

2:15-5:00

LOCAL FIELD EXCURSION: Travel to Studley Park via public transport

Rob Holm (James Cook University)

POSTERS Creating research-rich learning experience and quantitative skills in a 1st year Earth Systems course Implementing Fieldwork in First Year Geology Constructivism in practice: teaching pre-service teachers using geoscience inquiry Flipped, field-based and fabulous: teaching contextualized geoscience in an environmental science program

VIII

Penny King (Australian National University) Anne-Marie Tosolini (University of Melbourne) Leah Moore (University of Canberra) Leah Moore (University of Canberra)

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

Notes

Workshop Abstracts

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

Smart Maps, Smart Assessment? Alan R.A. Aitken, Mark D. Lindsay, Michael C. Dentith School of Earth and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth WA al an. ai tken@u w a. edu. au

The use of digital technologies (e.g. field tablets and GIS-based mapping) is becoming more common in the tertiary geosciences classroom. In concept at least, the creation of GIS-compatible digital-maps by students permits a semi-automated assessment practice to be developed that is more objective, more repeatable, and arguably, fairer than traditional manual assessment. Here we examine the pros and cons of such an approach to establish whether it is a feasible alternative to manual assessment. Perceived pros include the ability to mark many assignments with minimal time-cost, and the maximising of objectivity and repeatability between marks. Perceived cons include the difficulty in including the "je ne sais quoi" elements of a geological map, such as internal consistency, redetail vs noise, and , in an automated procedure that is sufficiently flexible and generic to be applied enmasse. Test examples using student maps derived in level 3 mapping exercises highlighted the following difficulties: 1) Students are not sufficiently skilled to generate GIS databases with consistent topology and format; 2) Besides the simple test of lithology identification, it is hard to formulate criteria that can be robustly implemented in GIS; 3) The results must be compared to an existing "answer" dataset that is in itself imperfect.

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

A baker's dozen years of first year geology teaching: Who has changed most - the student or the lecturer? Karin Barovich Department of Earth Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia karin.barovich@adelaide.edii.au A semester long 1st year geology course that focuses on plate tectonics, mineral and rock forming processes, and structural geology has been taught at the University of Adelaide each year since 2002. The same course coordinator has been in charge of the program over that time. Changes in student demographics, pass-fail rates and the style of teaching, especially delivery and assessment, are examined over that 13 year period. Over the time period from 2002 through 2014, student demographics have changed (or not) in the following ways: enrolments have grown steadily from 79 to 278; average age from 18.9 to 20.5 years; male to female ratio 54:46 to 65:35 (while the Faculty of Sciences gender ratio has remained around 50:50 over the period); socioeconomic status (measured by postcode) from 14% to 19% low SES; school leaver entrants from 81% to 67% of the class, mature age entrants from 3.8% to 17% of the class. Percent of school leavers with a Year 12 score in chemistry or physics has varied randomly between 69 and 75%, and their ATAR has remained around 81% average. The changes in age, mode of entry and socioeconomic status background has not been linear, and instead show a significant increase coincident with the complete uncapping of university places by the Labor government in 2012. Examination of the learning outcomes of the course and the content of assessment over the time period illustrate that the course has not been 'dumbed down'. Adjustments in teaching style have come about for several reasons: the recognition of diversity in learning styles; the fact that students spend less time on campus and in campus extra-curricular activities; the increase in part-time work; and the administrative load that accompanies growth in student numbers. The teaching style has changed from three traditional 50-minute lectures per week and assigned practical time slots to an interactive style involving online delivery of material, interactive in-class activities for instant feedback, and flexible timetabling for the practical work, which can be mastered at one's own pace. The assessment has changed from a single theory examination, worth 60% of the final mark, to episodic assessment, with three in-class theory tests throughout the semester and no final examination. Assessment also includes online components that are both formative and summative, also providing instant feedback. Student experience of the course, as measured through standard student evaluation questionnaires, has been positive over the entire period from 2002-2014. Each year on average around 95% of students Agree or Strongly Agree with the summary statement "Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of this course".

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

Over the 2002-2014 perioci, the overall final average mark has declined steadily from 75% to 62%. High Distinction rates have varied randomly between 5 and 16% over the entire period. Fail rates have become higher, ranging randomly between 8 and 15% from 2002-2010, jumping to ca 22% from 2012-2014. The fail rates for the mature age entry cohort from 2012-2014 are significantly higher. In 2014 50% of the mature age entry cohort of 47 failed, while only 16% of the school leaver cohort of 186 failed. Their average final marks were 46% and 65%, respectively. By measure of student satisfaction with the course and by the more or less constant success/fail rate of the school-leaver demographic, the changes in teaching and assessment style seem to have kept pace with changes in how young school leaver students learn. The mature age entry cohort is seen to be failing at a significantly higher rate over the past three years regardless of the mode of delivery. This suggests that other factors relating to this cohort need to be examined if overall success rate in the course is to be improved.

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

Educational Hazards Erik Brogt Academic Services Group, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand erik.br ogt@canterbuiy,a^

Recent natural hazard events such as the Canterbury Earthquake Sequence and the L'Aquila earthquake have highhghted, once again, the relevance of education and communication skills in hazard management. Associated with this relevance is a need for fundamental and applied research in hazard education and communication. In this talk, I will approach natural hazards from my perspective as a non-expert outsider to geology and hazard management. I will highlight some of the trends that I see happening in the field of natural hazards research, and some issues in the preparation of the next generation of hazard professionals in communication and education of natural hazards. I will finish with showcasing some of the interdisciplinary initiatives we are taking at the University of Canterbury to make education and communication of natural hazards an integral part of the postgraduate curriculum and assessment.

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

Using a Virtual Petrographic Microscope in undergraduate teaching Nathan R. Daczko ARC Centre of Excellence for Core to Crust Fluid Systems and GEMOC, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia nathan.daczko

A free standalone Windows and Mac OSX desktop software tool is presented and available for download at http://eps.mq.edu.au/vpm/. It is designed for rock thin section analysis without the need for a petrographic microscope. Virtual Petrographic Microscope (VPM) allows a user to analyse prepared high-resolution images of rock thin sections on a computer using traditional features familiar to users of microscopes including stage rotation, objective zoom, and switching between plane-polarised light (PPL) and crossed-polarised light (XPL). VPM however, includes a range of 'virtual' features not possible when analysing physical thin sections including auto-scaling grid overlays and annotation of thin section images with the ability to save, export, and import annotation files for collaboration and education. An intermediate undergraduate geology class used the software in 2013 and 2014. Analysis of the final examination results shows that incorporation of the VPM tool into the class program improved the student's skill at recognising common rockforming minerals. Prior to introducing the VPM, students correctly identified threequarters of minerals in the examination, with 11% of the class correctly identifying all eight minerals. Incorporation of the VPM improved these results over the past two years with 81 and 79% of minerals correctly identified and 24% of the class correctly identifying all eight minerals.

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

Geoscience Graduates: Perspectives from the AusIMM - the Minerals Institute Alison Fairmaid, Bob Smith, Geoff Balfe, Dale Sims The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Geoscience Committee alison.fairmaid@gmaiLcom The Geoscience Society of the AusIMM believes that a career in the minerals industry begins at university, and consequently the Society has a keen interest in supporting universities, geoscience educators, and students throughout their study. The Geoscience Society is growing our opportunity to interact with geoscience graduates as they move into industry to commence their careers or seek work in their field. Following a request for support from an academic colleague and through much discussion and review over the last six months, the Geoscience Society has developed a framework for course content that can be used as a guide when considering or developing a geoscience curriculum. This framework contains a summary of the desirable knowledge and skills suggested for Geosciences/Geology/Earth Science students, that the Geoscience Society believe will give them the foundation in sound science needed for a successful and enjoyable career as a geoscientist. As a by-product of this, employers in the Minerals Industry would receive high quality graduates that they can cultivate and progress through their own company professional development programs. As geoscientists, we recognise that not all students will enter into a career in the minerals industry. Nevertheless, a well-rounded geoscience course containing the knowledge and skill-set developed in the desired course content template would provide an excellent foundation for any geoscience career path including academic research, education, oil/gas industry and State and Federal Geological Surveys. The AusIMM Geoscience Society's priority is to improve links to universities and academics in the geosciences field and to support them in their educational endeavours. There is a two-fold basis for promoting professional pathways: 1.

Encouraging a career in the minerals industry

Providing support for the academic community

In order to provide support to the academic community, the AusIMM Geoscience Society can help through the identification of specialists in the Geoscience field. These specialists could provide guest lectures in specialist areas, for example resources and economics, geophysics, GIS or computer modelling. In addition, the AusIMM Geoscience Society offers to assist academics through the establishment and maintenance of links with industry for the purposes of field trips, exposure to mining operations and student employment (for example Industry Placement, Vacation Work and internships).

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

As a Geoscience Educator you might like to consider how the AusIMM Geoscience Society can assist you in the interaction between industry professionals and students, or in some other capacity that supports students and the academic community. Please feel free to discuss this with an AusIMM Geoscience Society representative.

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

An independent learning approach for introductory geosciences Robert Holm & Jan Marten Huizenga College of Science, Technology and Engineering, James Cook University, Queensland robert.holm@jcu.edu.au

Introductory classes in geoscience, particularly with regard to practical classes, have traditionally been very hands-on and demonstrator intensive. There is no doubt this approach benefits the students as geology is a practical, hands-on science, especially considering for the majority of students this will be the first time they look at rocks and minerals. However, tightening budgets, growing class sizes and an emphasis on cutting costs and providing profitable subjects is putting pressure on this traditional approach. We are trialling a new approach to introductory practical classes that puts the responsibility for learning back on the students. Where students have traditionally been provided practical exercises that introduce a specific topic step-bystep, we instead provide students with the necessary information to complete the task, in this case rock and mineral identification, and provide initial assistance to relate terminology to specific characteristics. The emphasis is then placed on the student to gain experience and develop their skills using the information provided. The practicals are assessed as a cumulative submission, or portfolio, and ultimately leads up to a practical exam on the same learning material. For instance, a rock and mineral portfolio may require the student to identify 30 minerals and 15 rocks for each major rock type. An important aspect of this method is that the students also have access to teaching collections outside of scheduled contact times. Assessment of the portfolios is Pass/Fail and does not contribute to the final grade but is a requirement for passing the subject. The students are encouraged to submit work as they progress for feedback, but without the burden of formal grades this is a much less demanding task. As an added incentive, 'bonus marks' are awarded for work that is complete and of a good standard. This program has been in place now for two years and showing promising results. From an operational perspective, the teaching budget is reduced to below half of the previous program on a per student basis. Students are given rapid feedback on progress without excessive marking. There is also a marked improvement in understanding of fundamental geological concepts in students that carry onto second year studies. Rather than achieving short-term goals by simply gaining the correct answers for assessment of each topic, the new approach places more emphasis on the final submission and uses progressive learning and feedback to encourage the students to learn and understand concepts. This approach promotes independence and flexibility in their studies, but also encourages the students to engage with their peers forming group discussions to solve problems. Finally, in addition to improving achievement levels, we are also seeing an increase in students switching to a geology major with promising signs for geoscience education at JCU.

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

MKR! Flipping Geoscience Teaching without Technology Pat James School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia patrick.james@linisa.edu.^

Flipped teaching and flipped classrooms involve a radical shift from traditional pedagogy. Previous and long held models of classroom delivery in the geosciences, as well as in many other disciplines, included the initial presentation of content during formal lectures, interactive discussion during subsequent tutorials and skillsbased activities during laboratory, practical or field sessions. The recently promoted flipped model of learning, however, recognizes that the traditional 1 or 2 hour content rich, and now often Powerpoint delivered lectures, no longer resonate with the "digital native and Gen Z/millenials" who comprise current and future student cohorts. The flipped model encourages the delivery of content and concepts to students prior to their engagement and interaction with teaching staff. This can be accommodated by production of sound- and video-bites as segmented lecture recordings, scripted Voice over Powerpoint (VoP) audio recordings, third party YouTube videos, eTexts or even book chapters or articles, with individual topics preselected on a week-by-week basis for reading/viewing prior to class. The classroom lecture sessions may then be planned as interactive individual or group learning, demonstration, discussion, and problem solving sessions, where engagement, challenges and activities can replace passive "learning'' of former times, to provide a more deep, rich and fulfilling learning experience. This session will demonstrate some examples of pre-prepared digital content. However, the main aim is to consider a range of culinary rheological analogs that the author and colleagues have developed and used over many years during informal flipping of classes in introductory tectonics and structural geology. After an introduction to examples of a few of these more memorable experiential learning displays, some members of the audience will be able to recognize and comment on their experiences as former students of this pedagogic practice. The audience will then be treated to a flipped learning experience by being challenged in discipline groups to developing their own pedagogic simulations using every-day culinary ingredients and household implements.

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

From 'Paddock' to Tablet Patrick Keleher & Andrew Hammond School of Engineering arid Technology, CQUniversity, Australia p.keleher@cqu.edu.au, a.hammond@cqu.edu.au

The integration of a tablet and the use of associated apps, with fieldwork is a 21^' century solution to a 19'^ century practice. Fieldwork, while the comerstone of many scientific disciplines, is often expensive to conduct and, in many cases, only undertaken once due to budgetary and distance constraints. Report writing is often undertaken in the office afar from the field. Consequently, undergraduate students need to be taught how to document accurate and meaningful observations, perform precision measurements and accomplish representative interpretations whilst out in the field; looking at outcrops, cores, etc. In order to become more discerning practitioners, students need learning experiences which transform them from being unsure what to record and to what extent, provide opportunities for them to master a plethora of different instruments (geological compass, GPS, clinometer, compass, camera, hand lens) and upskill them in the reading and interpretation of maps (geology, aerials, satellite, remote sensing, topography, vegetation, regolith). Over the past decade, a diverse range of commercial devices and computing products have become available which, while providing specialised, tailored approaches tend to be expensive. However, with the advent of cheaper slates and tablets and their associated apps (many of which are free) we are now given a unique opportunity to have an efficient and cost saving 'one stop shop' devices incorporating computing (hardware, software), instruments (camera, GPS, clinometer, hand lens, geological compass) and interactive map tools (GIS layers of geology, aerials, satellite, remote sensing, topography, vegetation, regolith) which are GPS enabled in real time. By appropriately configuring the tablet with contextual information for the chosen field area, results in a directed learning exercise focussing a student's learning experience towards accepted scientific and industry procedures and practices, supports their technical knowledge development and provides an avenue for them to refine and hone their fieldwork skills. This scaffolding facilitates supportive strategies to a student's learning, both individually and as a group member, through progressive development toward their acquiring greater knowledge, a deeper understanding of the subject matter and a greater proficiency in field based analytical techniques. Ultimately, the goal is for them to be an independent learner and be more proactive in their own learning processes. Key benefits include the ability for instant visualisation, data capture, map and photograph annotation, manipulation and interpretation of field observations and exploring and incorporating any relationships to other contextual data.

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

Creating research-rich learning experiences and quantitative skills in a 1 year Earth Systems course Penelope L. King, Stephen M. Eggins & Stephen Jones College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Australian National University, Acton ACT 2601, Australia p ^ n y ,kin^@aTi

We are creating a 1' year Earth Systems course at the Australian National University that is built around research-rich learning experiences and quantitative skills. The course has top students including <20% indigenous/foreign students; nonetheless, students' backgrounds in math and science vary considerably posing challenges for learning. We are addressing this issue and aiming to improve knowledge retention and deep learning by changing our teaching approach. In 2013-2014, we modified the weekly course structure to a 1 hr lecture, 2 hr partially 'flipped classroom' (workshop) with hands-on activities, a 2 hr lab, an assessment piece that covers the face-to-face activities, and a Ihr tutorial. Our new approach was aimed at: 1) building student confidence with data analysis and quantitative skills through increasingly difficult tasks in science, math, physics, chemistry, climate science and biology; 2) creating effective learning groups using name tags and a classroom with 8-person tiered tables; 3) requiring students to apply new knowledge to new situations in group activities, two 1-day field trips and assessment items; 4) using pre-lab exercises to promote prior engagement with key concepts; 5) adding open-ended experiments to foster structured 'scientific play' and creativity; and 6) aligning the assessment with the learning outcomes and ensuring that it contains authentic and challenging southern hemisphere problems. Students were asked to design their own ocean current experiment in the lab and we were astounded by their ingenuity: they simulated the ocean currents off Antarctica; varied water density to verify an equation; and examined the effect of wind and seafloor topography on currents. To evaluate changes in student learning, we conducted surveys in 2013 and 2014. In 2014, we found higher levels of student engagement with the course: >--80% attendance rates and >-70% satisfaction (20% neutral). The 2014 cohort felt that they were more competent in writing and data analysis skills, working quantitatively using spreadsheets; deriving equations to describe nature; using the scientific method; and research processes. Assessment strategies are challenging and we plan to test a grading approach based on content, correctness and creativity.

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

Flipped, field-based and fabulous: teaching contextualized geoscience in an environmental science program Leah Moore Faculty of Education, Science, Technology and Mathematics, University of Canberra Leah.Moore@canberra.edu.au

There are a range of institutional drivers for 'flipping the classroom', principally the idea that more students can be taught by fewer staff, hence incrementally addressing the economic bottom line as this teaching and learning approach is rolled out across the University campus. The challenge for academics is to ensure that the integration of the online offerings and the in-class activities are scaffolded well, and that the quality of the learning experience is not compromised when contact hours are reduced. The Earth Surface Processes (ESP) unit at the University of Canberra was flipped 4 years ago without compromising the high Unit Satisfaction Survey (USS) scores (consistently higher than 95%). This unit is the first mainstream geoscience unit taught in the undergraduate program apart from a lithosphere module in the first semester Earth System Science (ESS) unit. There are multiple educational aims for the ESP unit including: provision of a geomorphology foundation for subsequent earth and water science units; provision of a soils foundation to complement botanical aspects of the ecology program, and water quality aspects of the water program; retention of a sound regolith geology component (traditionally an area of academic strength at the UC); integration of mineralogy and mineral chemistry to allow transition into the ecochemistry/applied chemistry program; provision of sufficient introductory geology so students can gain an approved earth minor, to follow a pathway into the ANU geology program if desired (geology degree no longer offered at UC); and to provide an introduction to south-east Australian geology, geomorphology and soils. The ESP unit is divided into 4 parts: sedimentary landscapes, igneous landscapes, structural landscapes, and an integrated catchment overview. There are two 2-day field trips. The first runs from Canberra to the NSW south coast cutting across the Lachlan Fold Belt geology and showcasing granitic geomorphology and soils (Braidwood and Moruya batholiths), fluvial geomorphology and soils (Shoalhaven River), and coastal geomorphology and soils. The second is from Canberra to the Snowy Mountains showcasing: glacial and periglacial geomorphology; granitic geology, geomorphology and soils; Monaro Province volcanic geology, geomorphology and soils; and Cooma Metamorphic Complex geology. In order not to compromise the field component of this unit, class contact time was reduced to two 2-hour integrated workshops with required pre-class online readings and interactive tasks in the 'flipped classroom'. Weekly in-class quizzes

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

(30% of final mark) ensureci that students completed the online component prior to class, and had the additional benefit of high attendance numbers (95-100% of cohort) in workshops. Emphasis was placed on completion of highly interactive tasks in class with the theoretical component largely delivered online. The workshop structure was sufficiently flexible that areas that students struggled with could be addressed by adjusting the in-workshop delivery mechanism. Towards the end of the unit the sequencing of the content and tasks within workshops was assigned to the students so the responsibility for coordinating the learning was in their control. Retention and success rates for this unit are consistently high, and student feedback on the structure of the unit is positive.

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

Constructivism in practice: teaching pre-service teachers using geoscience inquiry Leah Moore Faculty of Education, Science, Technology and Mathematics, University of Canberra Leah.Moore@canberra.edu.au

Primary and Early Childhood pre-service teachers complete two Science and Technology Education units in their undergraduate program at the University of Canberra. The SciTechEdl has a flipped classroom with one two-hour hands-on interactive workshop on an Australian Curriculum Science Understanding module per week for 10 weeks. The SciTechEd2 unit is based on an in-school micro-teaching program where pre-service teachers trial their teaching strategies for Science and Technology with small groups of primary school children. Many pre-service teachers have not studied science beyond year 10 at school and most have never studied geoscience. Pre-service teacher self-efficacy with respect to teaching Science and Technology to young children is very low. Interactive workshops are structured using the Australian Academy of Science Primary Connections teaching resources as a framework, with a range of teacher-sourced resources introduced to tailor each module for the Early Childhood and Primary classroom. The Beneath our Feet module is the most targeted geoscience education workshop; but aspects of soil science are relevant to the longitudinal experiment {Plant a Seed or Fast Plants); aspects of economic resources can be integrated into the Energy module; and planetary science is addressed in the Orrery Opportunity module. In each module the 5E pedagogic framework (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) is used to structure the tactile tasks delivered in the workshops, thereby modeling potential school classroom practice. In the Beneath Our Feet module pre-service teachers prepare for class using the online reading (Weathering and Soils) and two videos on soils in the 'flipped classroom'. There is also additional viewing on the use of quadrats by scientists. After their in-class quiz on the preparatory material they conduct a Big Picture exercise as part of the Engage phase of the class, and are guided to prepare the Plant a Seed for the longitudinal experiment. In the Explore phase of the workshop preservice teachers are supported to make a Classroom Compass on the floor so that all directions in class can be given according to the points of the compass. A Compass Trail exercise can be constructed and a Big Book overview of compass directions reviews this aspect of the class. In the second part of the Explore phase pre-service teachers are introduced to the quadrat. The quadrat exercise is useful because it: models Working Scientifically; introduces Mathematics Extension; and contributes to Classroom Control (Working Outdoors).

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

In the Explain phase of the workshop pre-service teachers make links between their observations of scientists' use of quadrats (online resources) in 'flipped classroom' and their own use of quadrats (e.g. soil components; species type/abundance/diversity). They also consider the nature of data and the best ways to record the information they are measuring. In the Elaborate phase pre-service teachers are introduced to the Grain Size Comparitor and learn how to systematically describe sediments (granulometry). They then consider how to teach the concept of classification to students, and discuss how this can be related to development of students' Science Inquiry Skills. In the Evaluate phase pre-service teachers discuss the value of collating data from the whole class, and the idea of taking a statistically significant sample set. They consider replicating measurements so observations are as accurate as possible. Pre-service teachers are also encouraged to always prepare an Extension exercise, for example a tailored reading or a summary activity (formative assessment). All tasks are written up in a Science and Technology teaching journal, with reflection on how this modeled practice can be utilized in the school classroom.

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

Let us Rock Your World: making 'rocks and minerals^ learning relevant and engaging for junior high school (Year 8) classes Leah Moore Faculty of Education, Science, Technology ajid Mathematics, University of Canberra Leah.Moore@canberra.edu.au

Few in geoscience education would argue that the topic 'rocks and minerals' is generally taught in an engaging and innovative manner in most Australian schools. Typically this information is presented either as a somewhat rushed overview of the generic characteristics of common rock/mineral types, so that the class can move on to more captivating aspects of geoscience (e.g. correlation of fossils in strata, erupting volcanoes); or in a systematized, somewhat clinical manner that encourages rote learning of the characteristics of a suite of rocks and minerals. Commonly, metamorphic rocks are omitted from the teaching and learning offerings and in many parts of Australia rock and mineral identification does not constitute a recognised component of the enacted curriculum. Tensions that underpin these observations include: limited access to a wellcurated collection containing scientifically sensible specimens (i.e. rocks and minerals that reflect commonly observed features, rather than extremely poor or atypically spectacular specimens); access to good collections but a lack of knowledge about how to use them; limited understanding of the science inquiry approaches used by practicing geoscientists; and low teacher self-efficacy with respect to teaching about rocks and minerals. The Australian Curriculum now states that rock and mineral identification and relevant rock forming processes, including a relatively comprehensive understanding of the rock cycle, will be taught at Year 8 in all Australian schools. Science by Doing is an online science program for Years 7 to 10 available free to all Australian students and teachers. A series of research-based teaching and learning modules support teachers and students to improve their individual and shared science learning experiences. The aims are to better engage high school students using an inquiry approach; and by aiding teachers with relevant resources, and as appropriate, using innovative technology. The Science by Doing program provides a practical way of implementing the Australian Curriculum: Science, and is funded by the Australian government. The Year 8 Rock Your World module is currently under construction at the Australian Academy of Science. Components of the Rock Your World module are introduced in an online (or booklet) Student Guide that directs students through a series of tasks and prompts interaction with the Student Digital resources. Teachers are supported with a Teacher Guide that provides a concise but tailored set of information sheets, suggested classroom tasks and more. One innovation for this module is the construction, in collaboration with CSIRO scientists, of a 3-dimensional digital model of a conglomerate specimen that 16

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

can be rotated freely in all directions. Another innovation is the development of the Science by Doing Digital Rock and Mineral collection, a series of hand specimen and high-resolution images of typical specimens students are likely to encounter in Australian landscapes, and relevant links.

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

Blending Geoscience Learning and Teaching at UniSA: the OUA and F2F experience Tom Raimondo', Deb Moulton', Patrick James^ and Pramila Rathore^ 'School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia Division of Information Technology, Engineering and the Environment, University of South Australia, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia Tom.Raimondo@unisa.edu.au

The recent development of online Geoscience and Geospatial Science courses at UniSA in conjunction with Open Universities Australia (OUA) has facilitated the production of an array of digital learning resources and the introduction of comprehensive staff training in online course delivery. Examples of online learning material and content include recorded lectures and video clips, PowerPoint lecture summaries with voice-over audio scripts, multiple-choice quizzes, electronic readings and digital textbooks, asynchronous forums and synchronous virtual classrooms. These resources are delivered using the Moodle platform, in rich and engaging course websites. During 2014, the online resources created for OUA units were blended into the first and second year face-to-face (F2F) Geoscience courses. Alongside this, a Community of Practice was instigated that included Geoscience academics, pedagogic practitioners and online learning developers who helped to modify and develop teaching practices. These initiatives resulted in dramatic revisions to the traditional teaching modes, where lectures were didactic, content-rich and teachercentred, with minimal student interaction or feedback. Through this project, the widespread availability of online course materials at UniSA has manifested several changes in student behaviour. Traditional contentdriven lectures have become much less attractive and relevant to students. Nonattendance at face-to-face lectures has increased dramatically, a trend now recognised nationally and internationally. This has led to a growth in the application of alternative class interaction techniques such as 'flipping' the lecture. At UniSA, as well as blending course content developed through OUA, various techniques for 'flipping' the classroom have been applied. This pedagogic change has been supported by radically revising staff-student and student-student interaction in the two-hour learning sessions (we have deliberately avoided the term 'lectures'). Collaborative learning activities such as demonstrations, discussions, synchronous online student feedback, problem-solving and group activities have been introduced. In-class use of tools such as headset microphones, smartboards, wireless display tablets and smartphone apps have led to a more engaging and interactive learning experience for both students and staff, underpinned by a sophisticated and planned

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

pedagogic framework. This presentation will discuss the benefits and challenges of integrating the OUA and F2F delivery modes of Geoscience courses at UniSA, including direct feedback received via the Community of Practice and student focus groups. It will also include a summary of some of the more effective tools and techniques that have been used for blended Geoscience learning and teaching, both within interactive sessions and accompanying tutorials, workshops, laboratory practicals or field excursions. Some highlights include: •

'Virtual' capturing of field sites using high-resolution Gigapans and 360 Panoramas to support hands-on field teaching; • Short lecture videos, recorded feedback, YouTube clips and animations that explain key ideas step-by-step; • Online e-Modules, practical exercises and quizzes with instant feedback to help students track their progress and practice core skills; • Digital textbooks and lecture notes with interactive components and embedded web links to supporting material such as current news stories, explanatory models or interactive tools; •

Google Earth activities that allow dynamic 2D and 3D perspectives of a variety of landscapes and geological features from across the globe; and

•

Windows 8 tablets and wireless display technology that enables live annotation of lecture content, photos and videos, as well as direct student interaction via online polls and other web tools.

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

Geoscience Education in and for Indigenous Communities - lessons learned from the U.S. Sharing the Land project Eric M. Riggs Dept. of Geology and Geophysics, Texas A&M University, emriggs@tamu,edn

The United States has a unique relationship with its indigenous populations, although there are meaningful similarities to the experiences in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, and more general but still useful comparisons to the problems faced by other nations struggling with colonial educational systems after decolonization. U.S. Native American reservation communities nationwide exercise sovereign control over natural resources and land-use within reservation boundaries. Despite the clear need for geoscience professionals on reservations and the deep cultural connection many American Indian cultures have with the Earth, Native American students remain poorly represented in the earth sciences. This has led to a lack of geoscientific expertise on reservations, which has often led to tribal communities being placed at a significant disadvantage in many aspects of resource development and management. The Sharing the Land (StL) project is an effort designed to address this problem systemically by providing local, culturallyresponsive geoscience education for American Indian students primarily in the southern portion of the the U.S. state of California and surrounding regions, which has a significant indigenous population and numerous small reservations. We conduct field education for tribal environmental managers who often lack geoscientific expertise, for high-school-age students through the Intertribal Youth Young Native Scholars (ITY) summer programs, and for younger children through the Science Explorer's Club outdoor education program. We have also constructed an internship program in tribal environmental offices for Native high school and college students. This far-reaching project provides support to create a truly integrated pathway for Native American students. To assess program effectiveness, we have taken a multi-faceted approach based in educational and social cognitive psychology research. Focusing on the high-school to college bridge summer program, our program is largely field-based but is not exclusively geoscience-based. While this setting presents clear advantages for studying the geosciences, the integrated and organic nature of the program structure presents unique difficulties in assessing program effectiveness. To overcome this, we conducted a paired set of mixed-methods studies. From this work, we have been able to show that this collaboration is effective in transforming the youths' conceptions of geoscience and sometimes their aspirations as scientists. After participating in the program, quantitative data show that youth are more likely to indicate that science is a part of a tribe's cultural assets. Moreover, youth report positive effects on their self-confidence and likelihood to attend college (Unsworth, Riggs and Chavez, 2012). Through evaluation of our qualitative data, primarily pre and post-program interviews, these shifts can be attributed to the

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

strong sense of community built in the culturally-based programming. Youth describe a sense of empowerment and pride related to family-like relationships cultivated during ITY and StL. These themes, combined with positive nature experiences, are interrelated to the overall positive program experience. This is describes foundational experience of the program. Building from this foundation. Sharing the Land's science activities are experiential and highly related to the positive experiences with nature participants report. Youth are able to approach science, in the context of nature, from the safe space created as the program foundation. Moreover, once youth have constructed a conception of programscience as occurring in nature, they are able to identify all science that is beyond the program as nature.

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

Teaching Remote Sensing Image Interpretation - An Integrated Approach Incorporating Google Earth Michael Roach Earth Sciences, School of Physical Sciences, University of Tasmania Michael.roach@utas.edu.au

Geological interpretation of remote sensing imagery is an essential skill for professional geologists and forms an important component of undergraduate Earth Science education programs. At The University of Tasmania remote sensing forms a component of a core second year Earth Science unit. In this presentation I will outline and demonstrate a staged series of remote sensing interpretation practical exercises that integrate hard-copy resources and digital imagery to develop introductory skills in image interpretation. Interpretation of remotely sensed imagery involves visual integration of spectral information, typically from multispectral or hyperspectral imaging systems, together with spatial pattern recognition. Spectral information provides clues to the likely composition of surface materials while spatial variability and context assist in interpretation of lithology and structural relationships. Discrimination of Earth surface materials on the basis of their likely composition typically relies on integration of spectral reflectance information from visible, near-infrared and shortwave-infrared wavelengths. This information is provided by multispectral satellite-based systems such as Landsat TM and ASTER or from aircraft-based hyperspectral systems such as HyMap. A global coverage of Landsat and ASTER data are readily available at no cost and provide ideal resources for geoscience education. Unfortunately, these multispectral systems have comparatively low spatial resolution and hence it is often difficult to identify smallscale textural or geometric elements that provide additional clues to help interpret likely lithology or structure. In contrast, Google Earth and other internet-based image display systems typically provide global coverage of high spatial resolution imagery that is integrated with digital elevation data. However, Google Earth imagery is limited to visible wavelengths, image processing parameters are unknown and mosaicking artefacts are commonly encountered on scene boundaries due to differences in sensing system, temporal and climatic variations. The practical activities outlined here utilise multispectral imagery in conjunction with Google Earth to provide both spectral and spatial information for student interpretation. Most second year students have very limited past experience in geological interpretation of remotely sensed imagery and hence a staged series of three, threehour practical sessions have been designed to provide confidence in image interpretation in progressively more complex geological settings. In the first practical exercise, entitled 'Australia from Space', students use the ACRES Landsat TM mosaic of Australia and free ERViewer software to explore Australian landforms in

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

conjuction with Google Earth. Students are presented with small images of fifteen localities around Australia together with accompanying questions. The locations of these images are not provided and students must find each of the localities and mark their position on a map of Australia as part of the exercise. This is a deliberate strategy to encourage the students to roam across the imagery in the hope that they will encounter and observe many other interesting geological features and landforms. Students are encouraged to utilise Google Earth and web search engines in conjunction with the Landsat data to answer the questions. In the second practical, students prepare a geological interpretation map for the Collahuasi area in northern Chile. This site was selected on the basis of the diversity of geological and geomorphic features and due to the fact that there is almost no vegetation to complicate image interpretation. The area includes Palaeozoic volcanic 'basement', Mesozoic sedimentary strata. Eocene porphyry intrusions, extensive Miocene ignimbrites, alteration, mineralisation, and diverse Pliocene-Quaternary volcanic landforms. Students are provided with a hardcopy Landsat TM (741) image and an overlay for their interpretation map but the image is also provided as a KMZ file that can be opened and displayed in Google Earth. The main thrust of this practical is lithological identification and delineation / categorisation of geological boundaries but some emphasis is also given to identification and measurement of the orientation of bedding within appropriate units. The high spatial resolution of the Google Earth imagery is very important for structural interpretation and three-dimensional viewing capability provides an ideal way to illustrate geometric relationships. The final interpretation exercise involves preparation of a geological interpretation map for an area near Mammoth Mines, north of Mt Isa in Queensland. This is a region of Proterozoic sedimentary and igneous rocks that have undergone complex multiphase deformation characterised by folding and brittle deformation. Students are provided with a hardcopy Landsat TM (741) image and also with KMZ files containing Landsat, ASTER and airborne radiometric data that can be viewed in conjunction with Google Earth imagery. The main emphasis of this practical is on structural interpretation. In the Collahuasi and Mammoth Mines exercises students prepare hardcopy interpretation maps for assessment. These interpretations could be undertaken in a digital format using Google Earth, CIS software or a drawing package but my experience is that the additional complexity and software-specific knowledge that this requires is not readily justified in terms of the educational outcomes. The focus of these activities should be on geological interpretation of imagery rather than mastery of technology. Student feedback also suggests that they are generally more comfortable with hardcopy rather than digital interpretation. I believe that the staged series of practical exercises outlined here provide an effective introduction to interpretation of geological remote sensing data. It is important to gradually build student skills and confidence by progression to successively more complex examples. Although these image interpretation practicals have not been formally evaluated as a stand-alone component of the unit, informal

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

student feedback is very positive, particularly for the integration of Landsat and other imagery into the Google Earth environment. The exercises outlined here are available from the author.

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

Immersive Visualisation - OLT Project Outline Michael Roach Earth Sciences, School of Physical Sciences, University of Tasmania Michael.roach@utas.edu.au

New Immersive visualisation methods, including terrestrial and UAV photogrammetry, gigapixel photography and full spherical panoramas, can now provide intuitive virtual experience of remote geological localities. The technology to generate and deliver these new resources is well-developed, widely available and has been described in detail in previous AUGEN presentations and workshops. The federal Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) has recently recognised the potential of these new techniques for improving educational outcomes in fieldbased sciences and has funded a two year project (February 2015 - February 2017) to develop geological visualisations, accompanying educational resources and to trial their effectiveness for Tertiary Earth science education. The OLT project will be coordinated by staff at The University of Tasmania with partners at The University of Western Australia, Melbourne University, The Australian National University and The University of Queensland. The OLT project aims are to create a 'library' of visualisations for significant geological sites around Australia that are publically accessible and delivered to endusers through a web portal based on spatial or metadata queries. Classroom activities and other educational resources developed by the program partners to accompany some of these visualisations will be tested and evaluated. Initial data acquisition will focus on sites in the TocaL areas of each of the partner institutions together with more distant sites that are typically used for excursions. Limited data acquisition will also be undertaken in areas that are more remote but are of particular geological interest or significance. Project funding will also be used to develop additional resources such as freeware for quantitative geometric analysis of virtual geological outcrops. We hope that the educational resources that we develop will ultimately form the nucleus of a comprehensive 'Digital Geology of Australia'. However, to realise this aim will require additional fiscal resources and hopefully the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders since the benefits and applications of a resource of this type clearly extend well beyond the tertiary education sector. We envisage an expanded 'citizen science' project in which members of the the broader Australian geoscience community are encouraged to actively participate in data acquisition to generate a comprehensive resource that we can all share. In this forum I will outline the approach that will be adopted in the OLT project and discuss how the project can hopefully be expanded to include a wider range of stakeholders. Although the aims and objectives of the OLT project are clearly specified and this effort will be coordinated through the five partner 25

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

universities, there is certainly scope for involvement of other institutions, organisations and entities to help generate an expanded Open Educational Resource that we can all share.

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

Mineral Supertrumps: A new card game to assist with mineralogy teaching Carl Spandler Department of Earth and Oceans, College of Science, Technology and Engineermg, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD4811

Mineralogy is considered one of the cornerstone subjects of geoscience curriculum. It provides the basic information from which we can understand the composition and behaviour of Earth and planetary materials. Knowledge of mineralogy is essential to a range of science fields from ore geology, petrology, materials engineering, mineral processing, geophysics and environmental science. Nevertheless, there has been a trend towards reducing the amount of mineralogy teaching in undergraduate Earth Science courses as course contact hours have decreased and additional subject content (e.g., low temperature geochemistry, hydrology, environmental sciences) has been introduced. Basic knowledge and understanding of the properties of rock forming minerals remains one of the most powerful tools for gaining deep understanding of Earth systems, yet changes in teaching methods and student expectations mean that rote learning of mineral properties is no longer seen an effective teaching strategy. As an aid to teaching mineralogy I have devised a new card game called "Mineralogy supertrumps" that promotes learning of the properties and uses of 54 of the most common and important rock-forming minerals. The game involves 3 to 6 people, and is similar to the "Top Trumps'^^" card games. The pack consists of 54 mineral cards, and 6 "supertrump" cards. Each mineral card includes information about the mineral such as the generic chemical formula, the classification, crystal system, the geological environment where the mineral is commonly found or formed (igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary, or the mantle), as well as information in the five playing categories (or trumps) of Hardness, Specific Gravity, Cleavage, Crustal Abundance, and Economic Value. The first three playing categories relate to distinct physical properties of the mineral, while last two categories rate the importance of the mineral in terms of abundance in the Earths crust (continental and oceanic) and value to modern societies. The mineral cards are colour coded by mineral type and feature an image of a well-formed crystal of the mineral. Like most card games there are elements of luck and strategy to winning, and knowing the mineral properties is a clear advantage. The game is easy to learn (best by playing) and fun to play, and preliminary student feedback indicates that it benefits learning about the properties of minerals, as well as their importance for economic geology and petrology, and (to some extent) geophysics. Please contact me for more information or for a free pack of cards.

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

The learning challenge: Discovering the impact of our digital learning practices Caroline Steel Director Digital Learning La Trobe Learning and Teaching, La Trobe University, Melbourne Victoria c.steel@latrobe.edu.au

New and emerging technologies are rapidly changing the range of possibilities available for learning and professional practices. However the challenge of keeping up with the accelerating range of technologies at our fingertips is difficult for not only teachers but learners too. This keynote elaborates a learning design called 'The learning challenge' that helps both learners and teachers discover the potential and actual impact of new technologies in the context of learning, and disciplinary knowledge, concepts and practices. At the same time the design offers students the opportunity to better understand themselves as learners and evaluate their digital practices. The learning challenge aims to help students gather pedagogical intelligence around their approaches to learning and how they use technologies to support their learning goals. It provokes students to question and share their practices and underlying beliefs as learners and technology users. Originally adapted from a teacher development model (Steel & Andrews, 2012) the design has been implemented in various disciplinary and pedagogical contexts. While the case study presented here describes the experiences of diverse undergraduate students in a languages and technologies course, delegates are invited to consider the design for their own teaching in a geosciences context.

References: Steel, C., & Andrews, T., 2012. Re-imagining teaching for technology - Enriched learning spaces: An academic development model. In: Keppell et al., (Eds) Physical and Virtual Learning Spaces in Higher Education: Concepts for the Modern Learning Environment (Hershey, USA) p. 242-265.

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

Implementing Fieldwork in First Year Geology Anne-Marie Tosolini, Stephen Gallagher, Malcolm Wallace, Sandra McLaren School of Earth Sciences, The University of Melbourne a. tosolini@uni m elb. ecin. au

Fieldwork in Science degrees is under threat in Australia, as universities are faced with tightening budgets and larger class sizes, a reduction of fieldwork components is evident in tertiary undergraduate curricula (Burke Da Silva, 2014). First year Bachelor of Science students at The University of Melbourne are limited in their choice of first year subjects with field components and the majority of students have not encountered Geosciences at high school, due to the lack of offered subjects at Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) level. Geoscience is unique, utilizing fieldwork to teach concepts from first year and throughout undergraduate levels. Geoscience education "relies heavily on geospatial and temporal referencing" (Mogk, 2002), complex concepts that can be difficult to convey in classrooms (SERC, 2011). In fact, research highlights how fieldwork "introduces students to complex natural systems, breaks down barriers among geoscience fields, encourages multiple observations, and introduces students to the geologic history and geography of an area" (SERC, 2011). It is imperative we deliver first year Geoscience courses that are engaging, intellectually stimulating and well taught to target positive learning outcomes and to encourage more students to flow through into later years. Student cohort numbers in first year have been relatively stable in the past few years, but through-flow into second year dropped to very low levels in 2011. In response to this, we implemented an extended fieldtrip in 2012 to First Year Geosciences. Fieldwork increased from two separate one-day trips to a four-day fieldtrip as an integral part of the curriculum (c.f. Orion & Hofstein, 1994), covering all major rock types in geospatial (structural) and temporal (stratigraphic) contexts. The fieldwork is supported by eight weeks of lectures and practicals, presented before the trip to enhance learning in the field (Orion & Hofstein, 1994). A field report and a practical exam form the major assessment tasks. Feedback from Student Experience Surveys highlights the positive experience of field learning environments. A phase shift in teaching quality was seen after the introduction of the fieldtrip in First Year, particularly in the well-taught survey question. This implementation of fieldwork and its positive student feedback has arrested the decline in 1' year numbers, after a lag of two years. However, other factors come into play in year student numbers, including a lack of core Science students to go on into 2-^ year due to Breadth students taking 1' year, and core Earth Science Major decreasing through time.

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

References Burke Da Silva, K., 2014. Biological Fieldwork in Australian Higher Education: "Is the Cost Worth the Effort?" International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education 22, 64-74. Mogk, D. W., 2002. Research on Learning in the Geosciences: Contexts, Goals and Opportunities. In, workshop on "Bringing Research on Learning to the Geosciences", sponsored by NSF and the Johnson Foundation, Racine WI, July 8-10, 2002. Orion, N., & Hofstein, A. 1994. Factors That Influence Learning during a Scientific Field Trip in a Natural Environment. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 31(10): 1097-1119. SERC, 2011. The Science Education Resource Centre, Carleton College. Pedagogy in Action: Field Labs: http://serc.carleton.edu/sp/library/field lab/index.hfanl

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

Being supportively confrontational: Flipping the classroom, examples and ideas Sanja van Huet School of Life and Enviromnental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria s.vanhuet@deakin.edu.au

Being the sole focus of two to three consecutive hours of lectures is not (what I see being) valuable to student learning. This format doesn't cater for the different learning styles nor does it allow for my students to be alert and responsive to content - or even understand important information. If a student viewing my slides and listening to a podcast of my lectures off Campus can take away a similar experience as those actually in the class - there is little point to my being there. So I endeavour to make many of my lectures interactive. I try to make every class different; so that it isn't predictable. Not everything I try has the desired reception, but then I tweak ideas and change them. It was a little intimidating at first when something falls flat ... but I have now learned to laugh at myself and not be embarrassed to be fallible! My session will provide interactive examples of what I have done in my lectures and also a quick run down of ideas I intend to try to do in my lectures in 2015.

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

LIST OF WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS

Hamed Alan Leslie Marion Karin Steven Julie Erik Nicole Nathan James Alison Stephen Kathryn Ander Andy Janet Geoff Rob Pat Patrick Penny Paul Chris Sandra Leah John Alexis Justin Neil Tom Michael Bob Caroline Haydn Sanja Liz

Aghaei Aitken Almberg Anderson Barovich Boger Boyce Brogt Cox Dackzo Driscoll Fairmaid Gallagher Grainger Guinea Hammond Hergt Hodgson Holm James Keleher King Larkin Mays McLaren Moore Moreau Pang Payne Phillips Raimondo Roach Smith Steel Swan van Huet Weldon

Monash University Curtin University Monash University Monash University University of Adelaide University of Melbourne Monash University University of Canterbury Federation University Macquarie University Monash University/PrimeSCI AusIMM University of Melbourne John Monash Science School Federation University CQUniversity University of Melbourne Australian Institute of Geoscientists James Cook University UniSA CQUniversity Australian National University Australian Institute of Geoscientists Monash University University of Melbourne University of Canberra University of Melbourne University of Melbourne UniSA Phillips Gold/AusIMM UniSA University of Tasmania AusIMM La Trobe University Federation University Deakin University Deakin University

hamed.aghaei@monash.edu alan.aitken@uwa.edu.au lesliedalmberg@gmail.com marion.anderson@monash.edu karin.barovich@adelaide.edu.au sdboger@unimelb.edu.au jboyce245@gmail.com erik.brogt@canterbury.ac.nz n.cox@federation.edu.au nathan.daczko@mq.edu.au james.driscoll@monash.edu alison.fairmaid@gmail.com sjgall@unimelb.edu.au kathryn.grainger@jmss.vic.edu.au a.guinea@federation.edu.au a.hammond@cqu.edu.au jhergt@unimelb.edu.au geoff@blueumbrella.com.au rob.holm@my.jcu.edu.au patrick.james@unisa.edu.au p.keleher@cqu.edu.au penny.king@anu.edu.au pdlarkin@bigpond.net.au chris.mays@monash.edu mclarens@unimelb.edu.au leah.moore@canberra.edu.au jmoreau@unimelb.edu.au alexis.pang@unimelb.edu.au justin.payne@unisa.edu.au neil@phillipsgold.com.au tom.raimondo@unisa.edu.au Michael.Roach@utas.edu.au greengeo@bigpond.net.au C.Steel@latrobe.edu.au h.swan@federation.edu.au s.vanhuet@deakin.edu.au l.weldon@deakin.edu.au

Geological Society of Australia, Abstracts No. 131

Notes