Integration of Computer-Based Technology into Geology Field Course

夏季野外课程是最重要的本科地质学课程，因为它结合了这门科学的所有不同方面。与地质学课程的其他部分不同，大多数大学的实地课程几十年来一直保持不变。这个项目将传统的实地训练与目前正在彻底改变地球科学的几种新的计算机技术结合起来，从而增加了一个新的方面。通过使用地理信息系统（GIS）、全球定位卫星（GPS）、计算机制图和3-D可视化，新的实地课程教导学生如何利用这些技术来提高他们处理日益困难的任务的能力，这些任务是处理解决当今复杂问题所需的大量和多样化的数据集。当新技术应用于经典的野外课程时，传统的数据收集重点可以转移到数据综合和解释上。只有这样的改变才能提高学生的批判性思维能力。基于实地数据的假设的制定和测试是新课程的基石。因此，学生可以更好地为今天的地质学家在处理复杂问题时必须扮演的跨学科角色做好准备。

The summer field course is the single most important undergraduate geology course because it unifies all the diverse aspects of the science. Unlike other parts of a geology curriculum, the field course in most colleges has remained unchanged dor several decades. This project adds a new dimension to traditional field training by integrating it with several new computer-based technologies that are currently revolutionizing the earth sciences. Through the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Satellites (GPS), computer mapping, and 3-D visualization, the new field course teaches students how these technologies can be utilized to improve their ability to handle the increasingly difficult task of dealing with the large and diverse data sets needed to solve today's complex problems. When the new technologies are used in a classical field course, the traditional emphasis on data collection can be shifted to data synthesis and interpretation. Students' critical thinking skills can only be enhanced by such a change. Formulation and testing of hypotheses based upon field data are a cornerstone of the new curriculum. As a result, students can be better prepared for the interdisciplinary role that today's geologist must play in dealing with complex problems.