Using Artificial Outcrops to Augment Geoscience Education

地质学（42）我们正在新奥尔良大学校园内设计和建造一个人造岩石露头。路易斯安那州没有天然的岩石露头，这影响了当地学生学习地质学的方式。学生们在三维空间可视化思维方面有很大的困难，并且经常很少接触野外地质和自然露头。虽然路易斯安那州是研究现代沉积过程的理想之地，但它几乎没有机会对岩石和露头进行研究，而这两者对地质学都是必不可少的。这个概念验证项目是应对这些挑战的第一步。大量学生正在使用这一露头，其目的是促进科学和教育学院与当地学校系统之间的合作。人工露头是我们试图招募代表性不足的学生进入科学，特别是地质学的一种方式。

Geology (42)We are designing and constructing an artificial rock outcrop on our campus at the University of New Orleans. Louisiana has no natural rock outcrops, which impacts how local students learn geology. Students have tremendous difficulty with 3-D spatial-visualization thinking and often have minimal exposure to field geology and natural outcrops. Although Louisiana is ideal for studying recent sedimentary processes it offers few opportunities for inquiry about rocks and outcrops, both of which are essential for geology. This proof-of-concept project is the first step in addressing these challenges. The outcrop is being used by a large population of students and is designed to promote collaboration between the Colleges of Science and Education and the local school system. The artificial outcrop is one way we are trying to recruit underrepresented students into the sciences, particularly geology.