Pilot Project for Research in Visualization for Geoscience Education

洛佩斯（0607195）试点项目研究可视化地球科学教育这个试点项目将调查可视化在地球和空间科学教育选定的主题的认知方面，并探讨哪些可视化策略对学生的学习和理解有最大的积极影响。 可视化是教授基本地球科学概念的常用工具，但学生从中学到了什么，或者他们在传达正确信息方面的有效性如何，还没有很好的记录。 在物理学和天文学社区的类似研究的基础上，该项目将进行研究，比较学生在使用2-D与3-D可视化或使用多种视觉表示时学习常见地球科学概念的情况。 这项研究还将探讨学生如何解释（或误解）广泛使用的地球科学教学视觉。 测试前和测试后的比较将记录学生的理解，以及它如何与教学材料的有效性。 录像采访和分析将有助于澄清学生的思维，因为他们解释可视化。 研究将在佛罗里达理工学院的“整个地球”课程和天文学入门课程中进行，该课程由一组背景差异很大的学生（包括许多职前教师）参加。 这项研究的结果将导致改善地球科学教育在佛罗里达技术，特别是为职前教师参加整个地球课程。

Lopez (0607195)Pilot Project for Research in Visualization for Geoscience EducationThis pilot project will investigate the cognitive aspects of visualization in selected topics in Earth and Space Science education, and explore which visualization strategies have the greatest positive effect on student learning and comprehension. Visualizations are a common tool for teaching fundamental geoscience concepts and yet what students learn from them or how effective they are at conveying correct information is as yet poorly documented. Building on similar research within the physics and astronomy communities, this project will conduct studies that compare how well students learn common geoscience concepts when they are taught using 2-D versus 3-D visualizations or when multiple visual representations are used. The study will also explore how students interpret (or misinterpret) widely used geoscience teaching visuals. Pre- and post-testing comparisons will be document student comprehension and how it relates to the effectiveness of instructional materials. Videotaped interviews and analysis will help to clarify student thinking as they interpret visualizations. Studies will be conducted in both the Florida Institute of Technologys Whole Earth course, taken by a disparate group of students with highly variable background (including many who are pre-service teachers), and the introductory Astronomy course sequence. The results of this research will lead to improved geoscience education at Florida Tech, particularly for the pre-service teachers participating in the Whole Earth Course.