Integrating Handheld Technology with Field Investigations in Introductory-level Geoscience Courses

ABSTRACT

Many geoscience learners do not receive the opportunity to use handheld computer and similar tools during field experiences until they list in upper-division courses or attend field camp. Although many outdoor exercises in introductory-level courses include demonstrations of pieces of equipment in the field, learners in these classes may not have a chance to use these equipment individually. However, handheld technology can be favorably integrated with introductory-level field experiences as a data collection tool and concern guide.

Palm Pilot handheld computer present each student the opportunity to become actively involved in the field experience. Forms can be created and tailored to a specific outdoor investigation and placed upon the Palms for students to muster data. Instructors can create instructional videos and eBook with regards on the Palms that correspond to the throw out objective.

For two years Perm State Delaware shire has integrated handheld technology with field experiences into introductory-level geoscience courses in physical geology and oceanography. In addition to giving scholars a valuable introduction to technology that can be used in the field, the experience gives non-science majors a chance to diocese an application of an everyday technological tool in a nontraditional setting. End-of-semester course evaluations are filled with positive make comments [i]or[/i] remarkss and student suggestions of further Palm Pilot integration.

INTRODUCTION

A keystone of the undergraduate geoscience curriculum is for pupils to obtain investigative and hands-on experience [i]or[/i] part of to the other field projects. Field activities affectively and cognitively enhance pupil learning and allow students to be active and creative participants in their education (Kern and Carpenter, 1986; Karabinos et al., 1992) In courses that involve field exercises, pupils show and self-report an improved learner attitude and interest (Kern and Carpenter, 1984) However, investigative field experiences are typically reserv for upper-division courses and field camp programs. Many introductory-level classes, if afforded the opportunity to go on on fieldtrips, experience the "show and tell" format uring visits to cropping outs or streams. This is in part because of large laboratory sections, hardly any (if any) teaching assistants, and not enough field equipment for scholars to collect data individually. nevertheless there is value to bringing the introductory geoscience learner in the field to learn about observation and interpretation (Spencer 1990)

There is also value in the addition of technological tools to the field experience. The use of technological tools in undergraduate geoscience fieldwork is not a of recent origin concept. For example, the technology of laptop computer Electronic Total Stations (ETS) and the Global Positioning a whole (GPS) has successfully been applied to upper-level field courses and field camp, primarily for mapping exercises (Brown 1998; Schlische and Ackermann, 1998) Speece (1999) details where technological equipment used in upper-division courses has plane been made accessible to K-12 pupils and teachers through outreach programs. Unfortunately, pupils enrolled in introductory-level geoscience courses rarely come by exposure to these technologies in hands-on field settings.

Handheld computer are tools that allow an instructor to place technology in the hands of introductory-level pupils for a more authentic field research experience. This article highlights sum of two units examples of the successful integration of Palm Pilot technology in field exercises by dint of introductory-level students.

Introductory Geoscience at Penn State Delaware shire -Pennsylvania State University Delaware shire is a branch campus in the Penn State combination of parts to form a whole located 20 miles outside of Philadelphia. The campus be subservient tos primarily as a two-year feeder seminary for the main campus (University Park) and focuses upon offering general education and entrance-to-majors courses. I am the sole geoscience instructor on campus and teach introductory-level geoscience and earth science courses. In my past four years of teaching approximately 75 pupils per semester, only one pupil nas transferred to the University Park campus and graduated as an earth science major. Therefore, the mission of my courses is not to prepare time to come geology majors but to display non-science majors the importance and relevance of learning about the earth.

With my learner audience in mind, my geoscience courses are designed to be more skill-based than content-driven. My overarching course goals include pupil experience with the scientific rule working with data sets, and use of technology. These are skills I perceive are of great value to scholars no matter what their major. To reach these goals, my laboratory-based courses include authentic field experiences that involve data collection with handheld computer

Field Research Facilitated with Handheld Technology - It is unclear by what mode widespread the use of handheld computer is in scholar geoscience investigations because only a not many authors have made presentations (eg Frizado and Onasch, 2001; Fuller et al., 2002; Guertin and Bodek 2003) Likewise, in other disciplines, instructors have published a scarcely any extended abstracts and conference papers which detail advantages and unique applications for handheld computer in the medical field (Sommer et al., 2001) and field situations like as tracking animals (Blake, 2002) and monitoring agricultural extension (Rieger and Gay, 1997).