Approximately 1,700 students per year (spring, summer, fall terms) enroll in Introduction to Earth Science (GEOL 100) and Physical Geology (GEOL 201). Of that number, approximately 500 students enroll in GEOL 100 and GEOL 201 lecture sections taught in KOM 320. These courses introduce students to principles of earth formation and materials (minerals, rocks, soils), mechanisms of physical earth processes (earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics), principles of physical oceanography (tides, waves, shoreline processes), and principles of atmospheric science (atmospheric composition, atmospheric circulation, weather-related phenomena). This proposal requests funds to implement master classroom technologies and other teaching infrastructure improvements to KOM 320. The proposal requests funds to support the following three classroom improvements (all items are detailed in the attached budget): 1) Installation of standard master classroom technology components with supporting AV equipment and software. 2) Construction costs. 3) Purchase of a microvideo system for classroom projection of microscopic geologic samples.
Master classroom technology will enhance student understanding of earth materials and processes in that faculty will be able to access public web sites and commercial software exercises for additional information and explanation of lecture topics. For example, faculty will use master classroom technology to project photographs of rocks and minerals at the Smithsonian Institution, to access seismic records of daily earthquake activity from the USGS, and to view NASA satellite imagery of the earth and other planets. Internet access will also enable faculty to provide in-class images and data of on-going or recent natural disasters (earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, etc.). Additionally, commercial software will enable faculty to use graphics and movies to illustrate dynamic earth processes such as lithospheric plate motion, oceanic circulation systems, and weather systems. The microvideo system will allow faculty to project microscopic images of geologic samples, such as mineral grains, microfossils, and rock microtextures.
