Digital Image Technology in Undergraduate Petrology Laboratories: A "Proof of Concept" Project in Siliciclastic Petrography

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

Geology (42) The preeminence of visual content makes petrography an ideal subject for multimedia instructional modules. We are exploring the utility of digital image technology for teaching petrology, beginning with the test case of siliciclastic petrography at the undergraduate level. A 'virtual petrography tutor' is being designed to expose students to images and interpretive content comparable in amount to that included in traditional sedimentary petrography laboratory exercises. The curriculum materials differ markedly from existing image atlases (both paper copy and digital) in terms of the high density of interactive interpretive content that accompanies the images; the comprehensive level of treatment proposed is also a significant departure from the types of petrographic data currently available on the World Wide Web or on CD. Practical aspects of tutorial design and construction learned during this project will have application in all fields of petrology as well as in other fields which utilize data in the form of images (e.g., metallurgy, histology). Undergraduate and graduate students are participating in the development of the tutorial, allowing them to gain experience in methods of digital imaging and multi-media authoring. Initial application and formal assessment of the tutorial will take place during two semesters of an undergraduate course in sedimentary rocks (involving a projected 120 to 160 students). The development and assessment tasks proposed here are envisioned as the first step in a more ambitious project to create a full version of this tutorial for distribution and, ultimately, a digital library of petrographic images based on the large, highly documented, and well-maintained petrology collections at the University of Texas at Austin.