3-1 Giving Structure to Structure: Centering Project-Based Case Studies in the Design of a Structural Geology Course

Session: Advancements in undergraduate education: connecting classrooms to research and careers in sustainable geology

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Abstract:

Undergraduate coursework can prepare Earth science students for successful post-collegiate careers by exposing them to consequential, contemporary, real-world issues. Making such problems accessible and tractable to students often involves the use of case studies as the basis of assessments and course learning objectives. This approach to course design is as important as ever, given an increasing demand for university graduates with an interdisciplinary, Earth systems-based understanding of energy, mineral, and water resources.

We feature here an example case study-centric design of an undergraduate structural geology course. Most of the work for the course consists of two case study-based projects that students incrementally complete throughout the semester. In the first project, students investigate deformed bedrock in the polyorogenic Appalachian foreland of northern Vermont and its complex influence on the availability and quality of groundwater in the region (Kim et al., 2014). In weekly homework and lab activities, students used this case study to decipher, evaluate, and create geologic maps and cross sections of a variety of brittle and ductile geologic structures. These learning practices are also meant to deepen their understanding of the tectonic history of New England and enrich skills and knowledge from other undergraduate Earth science courses such as hydrogeology and geochemistry. The second project is based on seismic and structural data from southeastern South Korea, where a network of Quaternary faults coincides with recently developed enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) and induced seismicity (Kim et al., 2018; Ellsworth et al., 2019). Students create and contextualize stereonets, rose plots, and Mohr diagrams to constrain the structural relationship between EGS wells and earthquake focal mechanisms.

In addition to discussing pedagogical details, we will also present qualitative data documenting student reflections on intended learning outcomes from this course. This work is intended to offer meaningful lessons in the effort to equip future professionals with the skills and perspectives to engage with pressing problems in sustainability and resource management.

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