Use of emerging technologies in flipped classes

[EN] The need for this innovation stems from the constraints of teaching an applied science course to a large cohort of approximately 500 students which makes it impossible to include practical activities. This was compounded by the fact that the course had students with different levels of science knowledge. The aim of our pedagogic innovation was two-fold: to make the basic concepts more understandable for a broad audience of non-science major students; and to maintain a level of difficulty and rigour sufficient to challenge and provide a sound basis for students from the Geosciences undergraduate program. We used a flipped classroom strategy supported by the use of information and communication technologies. Material was provided online before the class so students could aquire basic concepts and identify gaps in their knowledge, and in the classroom the concepts were applied in group activities. Additionally we used the online quiz tool Socrative for students to self-assess their learning. This work was supported by post-class follow-up activities. As a result we observed a substantial increased in student motivation and engagement in their learning process and greater interaction between students and between students and teachers. Furthermore there was an improvement of overall performance with fever students failing the courseHuguet, C.; Pearse, J.; Noè, LF.; Castillo Ruiz, N.; Valencia, D.; Jimenez Heredia, A.; Patiño Avedaño, MA. (2017). Use of emerging technologies in flipped classes. En Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Higher Education Advances. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 891-898. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD17.2017.5454OCS89189

Using Augmented Reality to improved understanding of the Carbon cycle

[EN] We designed an activity to improve students’ knowledge and understanding of the Carbon cycle, which is typically a difficult concept. We wanted users to understand the main Carbon repositories and how the element circulates, as well as how human activity is impacting it. Originally designed for an advanced biogeochemistry course on paper, it was later redesigned using augmented reality (AR) to reach a wider audience and increase accessibility to both specialized and nonspecialized audiences. The reason for using augmented reality (AR) coupled to inquiry-based learning was to motivate students to complete the activity independently and make it more appealing to a wider audience. The Carbon cycle was divided into 7 stations that will be placed throughout the university campus, and which can be accessed by anybody using an android smartphone. They can choose to complete the whole cycle and answer a questionnaire, or just browse freely. We expect that the activity will improve understanding of the Carbon cycle in a didactic, playful and non-threatening way, and motivate users to learn autonomously. We also expect it to improve long-term retention.Huguet, C.; Pearse, J.; Lozano-Tarazona, Á. (2022). Using Augmented Reality to improved understanding of the Carbon cycle. En 8th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'22). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 591-598. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd22.2022.1448759159

Petrographic and geochemical characteristics of selected coal seams from the Late Cretaceous-Paleocene Guaduas Formation, Eastern Cordillera Basin, Colombia

Petrographic, geochemical and carbon isotopic determinations were conducted on five samples from four seams within the Late Cretaceous-Paleocene of the Guaduas Formation in Colombia. The individual coal seams are thin, ranging from 0.59 to 1.2 m, and occur over a 157 m interval. The average weighted ash yield is 13.7% (dry basis), although one sample presented values >35%. Vitrinite reflectance increases from 1.33% in the stratigraphically uppermost seam (La Cuarta) to 1.44% in the lower most coal seam (Cisquera), indicating their rank to be medium volatile bituminous. The studied sequence of the Guaduas Formation represents a peat environment influenced by shifting depositional settings, particularly in relation to the proximity of marine/brackish water environments as indicated by Sr/Ba values, sulfur, pyrite, δ13C and the proportion of telinite. A decrease in inertinite indicates that the peat mires were becoming relatively ‘wetter’ stratigraphically upwards. This trend, unlike that of Sr/Ba and telinite, may be driven by climatic shifts rather than only changes in depositional environment. Both trace and rare earth elements, plus yttrium (REY) are related to the inorganic fraction of the coal. All rare earth elements are depleted relative to average worldwide hard coals (for trace elements) and average upper continental crust (for REY) with the notable exception of Li and Sb for the high ash yield sample (the La Cuarta lower coal seam). The abundance of some REY elements (i.e. Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Y, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu) may be more influenced by the presence of illite rather than just the quantity of total ash yield. Based on the relationship between SiO2 and Nb/Y, the provenance of the inorganics changed from a rhyolitic source at the lowest seam (Cisquera) to a dacite source in the middle layer (El Tesoro) to an andesite source in the stratigraphically uppermost seams (La Gemela and La Cuarta).</p

A framework for assessing the impacts of mining development on regional water resources in Colombia

Developing its large-scale mining industry is an economic priority for Colombia. However, national capacity to assess and manage the water resource impacts of mining is currently limited. This includes lack of baseline data, lack of suitable hydrological models and lack of frameworks for evaluating risks. Furthermore, public opposition to large scale mining is high and is a barrier to many proposed new mining projects mainly because of concerns about impacts on water resources. There are also concerns about impacts on the uplands that are important water sources, particularly the páramo ecosystem. This paper argues the case for a new framework for Strategic Assessment of Regional Water Impacts of Mining, aiming to support land use planning decisions by government for selected mining and prospective mining regions. The proposed framework is modelled on the Australian Government's Bioregional Assessments program, converted into seven stages plus supporting activities that meet the Colombian development context. The seven stages are: (1) Contextual information; (2) Scenario definition; (3) Risk scoping; (4) Model development; (5) Risk analysis; (6) Database development; and (7) Dissemination by government to stakeholders including the general public. It is emphasised that the process and results should be transparent, the data and models publicly accessible, and dissemination aimed at all levels of expertise

Data Carpentry R Ecology Lesson v2017.04.2

## R-ecology-lesson v2017.04.0 Initial release of the Data Carpentry R ecology lesson