Multi-Media For a "Hands-On" Oceanography Course

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The purpose of this project is to continue to develop software for a series of "hands-on" multi-media lab modules intended for a lower division Oceanography course with a "Quantitative Science" component. The emphasis is on individual and group discovery, observation and analysis of the most current geophysical and geographical data, and the communication and revision of ideas through both group discussions and writing. Some of the tools being developed for this project provide access to data that has been previously accessible only to graduate students specializing in a field related to that data. Each module makes available a rich source of data so that the student can explore according to his/her interests and abilities. Module organization is easily programmable by the instructor so that a wide range of course needs can be met. Thus, each student may be exposed to a subset of the content available. This encourages exploration and challenges the advanced student to do more than the minimum. This programmability also allows modifying the modules for a variety of courses and academic levels. The modules are intended to be used in a Macintosh computer lab, and are designed to be completed in lab sessions of 2 to 3 hours each. They are designed in an "open-ended" way so that a range of student abilities can be accommodated. The three modules that will be completed on the currently funded NSF project are 1) "Getting Acquainted with Maps and the Earth", 2) "Exploring the Deep", and 3) "Understanding the Deep". New work to be performed includes the continued evaluation, testing, support and revision of the existing modules, as well as the creation of one or more new modules. Student writing is also supported in this project. The student enters text in a writing field, and saves, retrieves, prints, and "hands-in" writing to a common instructor's mailbox on the network. A system of Random Anonymous Peer Review is also available. Students submit their writing to re view by two others. The others receive the text and make comments, after which the commented text is returned. This is anonymous at both ends. An important effect of this is the encouragement of normally uninvolved students to express themselves, and the opportunity to both give and get feedback, then modify the writing based on that feedback. In support of these modules, a system of managing images and data related to images has been created. Slides are put onto PhotoCD and automatically cropped and compressed using Apple Photo Flash. A HyperCard based "Image Librarian" supports the documentation and creation of the image database files that determine the locations of "clickspots" (symbols of various shapes and colors, or PICT images) on a map or other graphic image. This system is flexible and quick. Preliminary testing has been done with 2 groups of 10 students and 1 group of 5. Feedback has been quite positive. Students uniformly praise the "hands-on" aspect of the material. From these initial tests, modifications and improvements are being made.