Graduation Year
2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree
Ph.D.
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Degree Granting Department
School of Geosciences
Major Professor
Jeffery Ryan, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Thomas Juster, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Mark Rains, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Janet Richards, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Sarah Sheffield, Ph.D.
Keywords
geoscience education, petrographic microscope, thin sections
Abstract
Undergraduate geoscience laboratory courses provide hands-on learning about earth materials. However thin section analysis is not typically included in introductory geology laboratories, likely due to the polarizing light microscope (PLM) costs. Therefore, there is a lack of research about the educational outcomes of novices learning these skills.
In this inquiry, I conducted mixed methods research about novice students' learning of thin section analysis in an introductory geology laboratory and evaluated learning and perception differences between students who used a virtual PLM and those who used a physical PLM. I collected data from Creative Exercise (CE) assessments in student midterm and final exams, thinking aloud protocols (TAP) and semi-structured interview protocols, and I performed graphical analysis of the joint data as well as thematic analysis.
My findings inform curriculum and instruction of novices introduced to thin section analysis. My participants produced acceptable exam scores, despite the challenges of developing mental mineral images, making connections between observations and mineral properties, and adopting vocabulary to communicate and support conclusions. Neither the statistical outcomes nor the qualitative results suggested students would be disadvantaged through virtual PLMs experiences. Critically, the PLM experiences improved engagement, enhanced the perception of geology, and promoted geology as a career option.
Scholar Commons Citation
Bebeau, Christy M., "Introductory Geology Laboratory Students' Learnings from and Perceptions of Physical and Virtual Polarizing Light Microscopes – An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study" (2024). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/10798
