Geological Sciences
Assessment tools:
Concept surveys in Geology
Background:
We have utilized questions from the Geoscience Concept Inventory (http://newton.bhsu.edu/eps/gci.html) in developing our concept inventory questions, and are contributing questions to the GCI's further development.
Our goal is to develop a bank of valid and reliable questions that assess faculty learning goals, and that incorporate significant student learning difficulties and misconceptions.
Administration:
1010 (Physical Geology) - We administer a 20-30 question survey during the first week of class in lecture (scan-tron sheets) and during the last week of class; most questions are multiple choice, but a few have been open-ended. Student participation is voluntary but encouraged by collaborating faculty by offering class participation points.
1020 (Historical Geology) - (more information forthcoming)
2100 (Environmental Geology) - (more information forthcoming)
Current status:
Developing and validating new questions that reflect faculty learning goals and observed student learning difficulties is ongoing. Questions relating to concepts and skills taught in Geology 1010 (Physical Geology) are further developed, although we have recently begun developing questions for Historical Geology (1010) and Environmental Geology (2100).
For more information about concept surveys, please contact Andrea Bair.
Student Attitudes Assessment in Geology
Background:
The Colorado Learning Attitude about Science Survey (CLASS) was initially developed for use in physics to assess student attitudes effectively in multiple undergraduate classes. Currently two versions are being developed for potential use in a wide range of geological and earth system courses. The CLASS-GEOL version is designed for courses that emphasize earth materials and process. The CLASS-EOS version is currently being developed in collaboration with the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department at British Columbia for courses that emphasize the interaction between humans and earth, oceanic, and atmospheric systems.
Administration:
Online surveys are administered in the first two weeks of the course (pre-semester); and at the last week of the course (post-semester) to capture attitudes at each endpoint of the courses. Student participation is voluntary but encouraged by collaborating faculty by offering extra credit or class participation points.
Current Status:
Both versions are undergoing rigorous validation for:
- Clarity of existing and new statements through faculty and student interviews.
- Identifying and validating categories through factor analysis of student responses.
An update regarding the validation of CLASS-GEOL version will be made available Summer 2008.
For more information about:
- The design of the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey
- The CLASS- GEOL version, contact Jennifer Stempien.
- The CLASS – EOS version, contact Tom-Pierre Frappé-Sénéclauze or Leilani Arthurs
Presentation abstracts about student attitudes in geology:
Stempien, J.A., A.R. Bair, and D. Budd. 2007. A New Survey Tool for Assessing Attitudes about Learning Geology: The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey, Geology Version. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 39, No. 6, p. 550
Stempien, J.A., A.R. Bair, and D. Budd. 2007. Student Attitudes in a Large Introductory Geology Class: Implication for Course Design. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 39, No. 6, p. 578
Houlton, H. and Stempien, J.A. 2007. Gender-related Change of Undergraduate Students’ Interest in Geology Courses. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 39, No. 6, p. 550
