GeoScape: An instructional rock garden for inquiry-based cooperative learning exercises in introductory geology courses

Journal of Geoscience Education, Mar 2003 by Calderone, Gary J, Thompson, J Robert, Johnson, Wayne M, Kadel, Steve D, Et al

ABSTRACT

GeoScape is a landscape design, consisting of colored gravel, strategically placed flagstone and boulders, and two vertical features that simulates the geology of some fictitious region (a combination of geologic features in Utah, Arizona and Nevada). The design incorporates many topographic and geologic concepts that introductory geology students are expected to understand. GeoScape is an educational tool employing "hands-on", inquiry-based, and cooperative learning techniques to help students develop problem solving and critical thinking skills by applying their geologic knowledge to a simulated field situation. Students are charged with the task of producing topographic and geologic maps and a report on the geologic evolution of the area to help solve problems in resource exploration and geologic hazards. GeoScape illustrates three-dimensional geologic structures on a smaller scale to help students visualize concepts such as bedding tilt, plunging folds, unconformities, and stratigraphic principles. GeoSpace can also be used to provide at least a simulated geologic field experience to disabled students or students taking evening classes who otherwise would be unable to participate in a traditional field exercise. GeoScape is relatively easy to build and could be constructed in a variety of areas where geologic exposures are scarce or field excursion resources are limited.

Key Words: Field Trips, Field Study, Areal Geology -- Maps, Charts, Photographs, General Summer Field Courses, Structural Geology, Geology, Education -- Undergraduate, Education - Geoscience

INTRODUCTION

Introductory geology students seem to find the interpretation of geologic maps particularly frustrating to grasp (Kali and Orion, 1996; Kali et al., 1997; Orion, et al., 1997). The ability to visualize the three dimensions represented on a two-dimensional geologic map is not easy for most students, yet it is fundamental for geologic thinking (Chadwick, 1978). Traditionally, geology instructors have endeavored to "bring the field to the classroom" in the form of slides, films, and photos.

Although these media clearly promote the understanding of geological concepts, they are still fundamentally two-dimensional. Kali and Orion (1996) found that students needed two types of visualization skills to solve geologic problems, the ability to perceive spatial configurations and the ability to mentally penetrate the image of a structure.

Many geology students benefit from the observation of geologic structures in the field (Manner, 1995). Although we are fortunate to live in Arizona where many structural relationships are visible within a hundred miles of our campuses, we too are subject to the difficulties outlined by Malone (1999). It is not always logistically or economically feasible, especially in commuter-oriented community colleges, to transport students to these geologically magnificent field areas. In addition, it is difficult to locate a single area that shows exposures of all the features we teach in introductory geology courses. Indeed, even the Grand Canyon is somewhat limited in the structural features it displays. Lacking a nearby field area that classically illustrates most of the features of a geologic map and facing logistical and financial concerns that prevent us from taking all students on long field trips, our next best solution was to build the ideal geologic field setting. GeoScape is our first attempt at building such an area.

Geoscape is a landscape design consisting of colored gravel, strategically placed flagstone and boulders, and two vertical features, that simulates the geology of som fictitious region (a combination of geologic features in Utah, Arizona and Nevada). The landscape is constructed adjacent to the Physical Science Building at Glendale Community College (Figure 1). GeoScape provides out students the opportunity to investigate three-dimensional structures at different scales. We have also built a level of versatility in GeoScape that allows our students to explore how the interpretations of structures change with different internal configurations, such as a change in fault dip or slip direction. We hope GeoScape will provide our students multiple visits to a familar area and thus, more effectively develop their spatial visualization skills.

THE MAP PATTERN AND EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

Our goal in developing GeoScape was to create a single geologic map incorporating a wide variety of basic geologic features that would serve as the foundation for field based problem solving exercises similar to those described by other workers (Tewksbury, 1992; Hollocher, 1994; Searight and Malone, 1996; and Baily, 1998). We were tempered, however, by the number of different types of flagstone and boulder lithologies we could obtain from local landscape suppliers, the cost of materials and labor, and our desire to limit the length of time that students would spend doing repetitive exercises. We also endeavored to make the landscape useful to a wide variety of instructors and courses, including lecture courses that normally wouldn't have field examples in such close proximity. The result is the map shown in Figure 2.