physical geography technology enhancements and distance learning february 19, 2010 donald thieme
TRANSCRIPT
Physical Geography
Technology Enhancementsand Distance Learning
February 19, 2010
Donald Thieme
GEOG 1113K
• one of two introductory courses in Physical Geography
• GEOG 1112 - Weather and Climate
• GEOG 1113 - Introduction to Landforms
• can be taken as a sequence to satisfy laboratory science requirement for education and other majors
Testing and Grading
• 3 Exams (100 points)• Final Exam (200 points)• Videos (10 points each)• Attendance (25 possible points)• Lab Exercises (10 points each)• Lab Mid-Term• Lab Final
300
200
50
25
100
825
50
100
Practice Tests
• 40-60 multiple choice questions• test banks provided by textbook
publisher, Pearson Prentice Hall• Fall, 2007 and Fall, 2008 - a "Java" script
provided by Pearson Prentice Hall, accessed through WebCT online
• Fall, 2010 - test bank imported into BlazeView, Valdosta State University's implementation of BlackBoard Vista 8 . Accessed as an "Assessment"
2007-2008 Practice Tests• "Java" script accessed through WebCT online• Students had to turn off pop-up blocker,
install new JAVA, etc....• JAVA script would crash and leave students
half finished - - > Could not be timed.• Students made mistakes on Name, Course
ID, etc... - - > Allowed multiple trials.• Nearly 90% answered over 90% of questions
correctly.• How many got "help"? ?
2009 - Practice Test• BlazeView "Assessment"• Students failed to read instructions and
reported some of the same problems as in 2007 and 2008,
• Test was timed initially, later opened for multiple tries.
• Only 21% answered over 90% of questions correctly.
• Still poor correlation with Exam 2 grades.• Many students still not learning from this
practice.
2007-2009 Google Earth
Latitude and Longitude Coordinates• short enough to be easily copied• accurate enough to find the landform
Geographic Locations• general enough to be familiar• specific enough to be physically unique
3-4 Questions• at least one process question• all sets similar in difficulty
"Capstone" Experience in that it combines all blocks of study into one exercise