Development of a 3-D Interactive Mineralogy Textbook

Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley MA

Investigators

Abstract

Geology (42) This project creates a Mineralogy textbook that is accessible and relevant to students by presenting the material in accord with modern learning theory. The chapters are integrated with a CD-ROM focused on active learning by students. Every text illustration is reproduced in color 3-D and includes animations, interactive exercises, and narration by the authors. A second accompanying CD-ROM provides an all-inclusive mineralogical database that can be used for mineral identification, movies of crystal structures, optical properties, etc. Sections of the text and its animations will be incorporated into DLESE, with metatags provided for direct searching and browsing of much of the material. The textbook reflects the experience of both authors' in industry and their years of teaching geoscience, science education, planetary science, and materials science. The textbook addresses a diversity of student perspectives ranging from science teachers to geologists, across the broader earth sciences, to connections with cognate disciplines like chemistry, physics, mathematics, and biology. This project involves collaboration among authors at Mount Holyoke College and the University of Idaho. Educators at the University of Idaho are performing evaluations. Tasa Graphic Arts, Inc. is producing the illustrations and the CD-ROMs. Support is requested to facilitate production of a low-cost textbook that incorporates state-of-the-art pedagogy and computer animation that may be used by students in the geosciences as well as science education programs. The textbook incorporates innovative methods (such as the use of spiral and inductive learning, as well as concept maps) that have the potential for improving the quality of science teacher preparation, adding diversity to the textbooks in this field, and providing for integration of technology into earth science and related curricula. Significant co-funding of this project is being provided by the Division of Earth Sciences in the NSF Directorate for Geosciences in recognition of the importance that this innovative textbook and accompanying CD-ROM has for undergraduate students and faculty.