Teaching Stratigraphy By POGIL: Successes

And Challenges Julie K. Bartley

Department of Geosciences

University of West Georgia

-PD Krynine

“Stratigraphy is the triumph of terminology over common sense.”

Stratigraphy at UWG Sedimentology & Stratigraphy separated

into two courses in 2003 Sedimentary Petrology & Sedimentology Stratigraphy & Geochronology

Stratigraphy & Geochronology Theme: Rocks and Time Topics include

Facies distribution and relationship to sea level Basic stratigraphic principles Cycles and sequence stratigraphy Relative time techniques (chemo-, magneto-, bio-) Event stratigraphy Radiometric dating Chronostratigraphy and basin analysis

Challenges Diverse audience

Sophomores, juniors, seniors Geology and Earth Science Half have had sedimentology/sed petrology 25% have had only physical and historical

geology

Challenges Diverse material contained in the course

No single textbook covers breadth of material

Credit hour structure 3-credit course, with lab 2 hours/week of “lecture” 2 hours/week of “lab”

Traditional Presentation Two hours of lecture

Principles and terminology

Two hours of lab Applications (mostly on paper) Facies diagrams, stratigraphic sections,

correlation hypotheses, Wheeler diagrams, computations

Field trip – Warrior Basin of Alabama

Advantages – Traditional Presentation Large volume of material “Efficient” use of lecture time Could review material rapidly to bring

diverse students up to “speed” on basic concepts

Good performance on terminology-based exam questions

Lab allowed for application of concepts

Shortfalls– Traditional Presentation

Terminology and application disconnected Advanced students bored in lectures Lack of incentive to read textbook Poor performance on conceptual exam

questions Poor performance on computational exam

questions (geochronology)

Learning Outcomes Students struggle with terminology Typically articulate understanding poorly

in labs and on exams. End-of-term evaluations:

Lecture and lab were not well articulated, Terminology was difficult to understand, Despite this, the course and instructor were

fairly highly rated (4.2/5).

Reexamination of Course Goals “Talk” stratigraphy or “Do” stratigraphy?

“Do” stratigraphy Focus on process, rather than terminology

Critical evaluation of chronostratigraphic hypotheses Higher-order thinking

Ability to understand and apply concepts in the field

How I learned stratigraphy…

POGIL Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning Developed by chemists to improve critical thinking

and problem solving in science courses. Instructor is a facilitator; students explore

important processes Students construct their own understanding Similar to the ways we usually conduct field trips,

but it is not typically practiced in the classroom.

Implementation of POGIL Course reorganization Focus on fundamental stratigraphic processes Guided inquiry

No lectures Students receive a set of prompts relevant to a topic Construct understanding from individual and collective pre-

existing knowledge.

Understand process first; terminology introduced after mastery of the conceptual framework

Class Structure Tuesday morning “lecture”

Students receive a page of open-ended prompts

Tuesday afternoon “lab” 2-hour exercise plus homework to develop more

thorough understanding

Thursday morning “lecture” Wrap-up of topic explored on Tuesday;

introduction of appropriate terminology

Successes Greater mastery of stratigraphic concepts

Improved performance on first exam, which covers basic stratigraphic principles and concepts.

Students were more engaged Attended class more regularly Participated in hypothesis construction in lab High level of engagement on the required field

trip.

Student Feedback Midterm and end-of-term assessment “The hands on approach worked very well for me” I appreciate being able to frequently ask

questions, it makes class more interesting to me “[POGIL] has taken some getting used to;

however, I feel the material is more helpful and logical when used rather than recited.”

Student Feedback “When studying transgressions and

regressions, the material was presented in a way which made me first try to figure it out for myself, then after some frustration and a little guidance, it clicked! I got it. I had much more invested in the topic than simply reading a book and memorizing some silly definitions, I had grasped the concept and the uses of the concept.”

Student Feedback “I think our exam was easier because of the way

the course was taught. Had it been all lecture, no discussion or class collaboration, I absolutely feel our test would have been harder.”

“I love that I am gaining knowledge not only from the professor, but from my peers as well. Its a great feeling that we all know that we can work together to find an answer…. I love the environment and look forward to coming to class. I enjoy my classmates.”

Challenges Students displayed decreased confidence in their

mastery of material Despite high achievement

Performed slightly worse on quantitative elements Students accustomed to structured instruction in problem-

solving

Assigned reading participation remained low Textbook inadequate for the methodology Primary literature too sophisticated

Student Feedback “I feel that I learn the material in a general

sense; however when it get to the tests, I only make a C even though I write everything I know.”

“I think I (personally) would have learned better had I been more assertive in class (Lab especially).”

Take-home messages Guided inquiry requires a high degree of

flexibility Labor-intensive compared to a traditional

lecture format “Lectureless” doesn’t mean low-preparation time

Students take responsibility for learning Overall, POGIL is effective in teaching

stratigraphy

-AD Miall

The subject of stratigraphy once provided uninspired teachers with unrivaled opportunities to bore their students to distraction.