Education Modules

MGDS education components include participation in workshops, the creation of educational materials, and reporting on progress.

The educational materials cover a range of pedagogical models involving the use of geoscience research data in education. These focus primarily on mid-ocean ridge structures and processes, and are divided into four catagories:

Earth Exploration Toolbook Chapters

The Earth Exploration Toolbook (EET) is a collection of computer-based geoscience activities. Each EET activity (chapter) introduces data sets and analysis tools that enables users to explore some aspect of the Earth system. View the GeoMapApp EET chapter.

Data Puzzles

Geoscience "Data Puzzles" are data-using activities that purposefully present a low barrier-to-entry for teachers and a high ratio of insight-to-effort for students. They allow a teaching style in which students use geoscience research data to solve problems and answer questions. Tips help teachers anticipate student misconceptions and overcome common challenges in teaching this material.

Conceptests

Conceptests are single-topic multiple choice questions given in the middle of a lecture to assess students' learning of basic concepts. Students answer the question first individually and then after discussion with their neighbours. Benefits include better engagement of students, students more focused on concepts, better pacing by teachers, improved classs attendance, and superior learning overall.

Research on Learning

Studies on student use of data visualizations shows that students often fail to perceive the essential information that experts or teachers had in mind in creating or presenting data visualizations. Sandra Swenson, a Teachers College doctoral student, is conducting research to establish how students in grades 8-12 interpret a common visualization of a global digital elevation model (manuscript in preparation.)

MGDS also actively participates in education and outreach workshops organised for educators:

Report on education components to MGDS Advisory Committee for 2005 and 2006.

Send questions or comments concerning Education Modules or MGDS tools to info@marine-geo.org