Seismic Eruption Teaching Modules

This site presents educational modules for teaching about earthquakes, volcano eruptions and related plate tectonic concepts using an interactive computer program for mapping called Seismic/Eruption (also called SeisVolE). The program includes up-to-date earthquake and volcanic eruption catalogs and allows the user to display earthquake and volcanic eruption activity in "speeded up real time" on global, regional or local maps that also show the topography of the area in a shaded relief map image. SeisVolE is an interactive program that includes a number of tools that allow the user to analyze earthquake and volcanic eruption data and produce effective displays to illustrate seismicity and volcano patterns. The program can be used to sort data and provide results for statistical analysis, to generate detailed earthquake and volcano activity maps of specific areas or for specific purposes, to investigate earthquake sequences such as foreshocks and aftershocks, and to produce cross section or 3-D perspective views of earthquake locations. The Seismic/Eruption program can be a powerful and effective tool for teaching about plate tectonics and geologic hazards using earthquake and volcano locations, and for learning (or practicing) fundamental science skills such as statistical analysis, graphing, and map skills. The teaching modules describe and illustrate how to use the Seismic/Eruption program effectively in demonstrations, classroom presentations and interactive presentations, and independent study/research. Because the program has many useful options and can be used to examine earthquake activity and volcanic eruption data, the modules provide instructions and examples of quantitative analysis, graphing of results, creating useful maps and cross section diagrams, and performing in-depth exploration and research. The examples are intended to illustrate the features and capabilities of the program and stimulate interest in using the program for discovery learning in Earth science, especially earthquakes, volcanoes and plate tectonics. Educational levels: Middle school, High school, Undergraduate lower division, Informal education, General public

Feeding the three headed monster of Higher Education

The integrated Taught Postgraduate framework (PGT) at Northumbria University supports a range of postgraduate programmes in design disciplines, design management and design practice by distance learning as well as professional doctorates. The framework provides rigorous taught modules dealing with subjects including creative thinking, research principles, intellectual property, design strategy, commercialisation, reflective practice, contemporary influences on design, design value and cross cultural communication. These theoretically grounded modules have been developed over a ten year period and provide the foundation for the PG provision at Northumbria. Students value the content of these modules but have in the past struggled to connect them and develop a mutually enforcing relationship between theory and practice. Northumbria, like many other UK universities, manages its Schools under three portfolios: Research, Enterprise and Teaching and Learning. Most academic roles operate within one of these ‘silos’ and it is often structurally problematic for academics to move between portfolios to combine their respective aims. This paper examines the difficulties faced by academics whose activities span research, enterprise and teaching and learning. It documents the recent evolution of the PGT framework at Northumbria to support the integration of these portfolios of activity for the benefit of the students, academics and school as a whole. The authors have developed a taught PG ‘lattice’ structure that maps theoretical modules of study against industry-based practice. Multidisciplinary teams of students carry out technology led projects for commercial clients supported by experts and specialists in the field. Hence the same theoretical concepts are applied from the standpoint of different disciplines within the same team. This structure has enabled the integration of distinctly theoretical areas of design expertise with their application in practice through industry based projects that: Provide teaching resources including materials, new technologies, industry specialists and commercially realistic parameters Create income and develop intellectual property leading to royalties, equity and spin off consultancy Generate research papers, publications and exhibitions. These outcomes align with teaching and learning, enterprise and research respectively. This paper presents an innovative PG model and describes case study material from strategic commercial projects with companies and consortiums

Engaging Students Through Collaboration: How Project FUN Works

Students from three disciplines designed, developed, and implemented exercise and nutrition interventions, online modules and videos, to benefit low-income middle school students. The process used to incorporate the scholarship of teaching into a collaborative college-level application of learning is described

Core content modules at Leeds Metropolitan University

As part of Leeds Metropolitan University’s review of the postgraduate curriculum in 2012–13, Libraries and Learning Innovation (LLI) was asked to lead a project group to create two core content modules for use at Level 7 (Masters level) in Research Practice and Project Management. The rationale for choosing these two areas was the sheer number of modules in these subjects taught across a wide range of disciplines, each of which is currently designed and populated by individual course teams. The group consisted of representatives from the University’s Centre for Teaching and Learning, academic staff, learning technologists and academic librarians, and was chaired by the Associate Director of LLI, Wendy Luker

Teaching Accounting and Finance to non-specialists: revealing the students' perspective on the learning experience

This study is concerned with the non-specialist accounting and finance students’ perspective on the usefulness, scope, and practical application of relevant modules within their program of study. It also evaluates relevant teaching and learning approaches adopted by accounting academics teaching non-specialist - instead of introductory - accounting modules, through revealing the students' perceptions on the effectiveness of these approaches in creating a high quality learning experience. Lectures' teaching competencies are rated first in terms of importance for their learning experience by the vast majority of students. Issues relevant to the curricula's 'real world' application, as well as, the development of clear links between lecture material and assessment practise, engrossed considerable attention by the respondents. Education technology and reading material on the other hand appeared to be of prior importance for a smaller number of students

Emergent skills and beliefs in an initial teacher preparation course : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Second Language Teaching at Massey University

Research on teacher preparation has focused primarily on traditional preparation courses or, in the case of ESL, on the university-based BATESL or MATESL courses. In contrast, the present study focuses on the much shorter Trinity Cert. TESOL initial course, involving distance learning modules and a four-week on-campus segment. In particular, it investigates the major constructs, and the key components within each construct, developed by nine trainees, many of whom were complete novices, from the initial signing-up for the course until its completion. Data was collected by means of questionnaires, interviews, written lesson evaluations, feedback from tutors and a stimulated recall procedure during practice teaching. Results indicated that trainees developed beliefs about teaching which could be grouped in three main sets of constructs: personal, planning and classroom. Personal constructs were found to be comprised of subject matter knowledge, role models and confidence; planning constructs were made up of lesson planning, materials and timing; and the components of classroom constructs were shown to be classroom management, student needs, communication and error correction. Personal constructs were largely present at the beginning of the on-campus four-week course, although subject matter knowledge, in particular, had been developed during the distance learning modules. Planning constructs and classroom constructs, which are shown to be closely intertwined, were seen to undergo rapid development, starting with peer teaching and leading on to classroom practice teaching. The major outcomes of this study point to the importance of role models that trainees bring to the course, the necessity to develop subject matter knowledge well before the course, the individual differences between the trainees in terms of converting input from the course into output for practice teaching, and the extent to which teachers experienced in another field of teaching are at an advantage over the complete novice. The study concludes with several suggestions for focusing trainees so that they can gain the maximum benefit from the course. In addition, ways in which minor aspects of the course could be improved are put forward