• study programme: Geology
• standard study track year: BA1, BA2, BA3, MA1, MA2
• course unit(s): Introduction to Petrology (C000536), Sedimentology (C003342), Geological mapping A & B (C003388 & C003389), Stratigraphy (C003341), Structural Geology with Exercices on Geological Maps (C000120), Field Course: Biosphere Evolution and Stratigraphy (C002646), Field Course: Geology of Basins and Orogens (C003567)
• number of students: 15-20 on site simultaneously
• lecturer(s) involved: Marc De Batist, Stijn Dewaele, Thomas Wong Hearing
• example from the 2020-2021 academic year
• tool(s): blank basemaps, handheld magnifying lens, specialist measuring equipment depending on the topic
• Published results

Background and aims

Field skills training is integral to geoscience education, including Geology at UGent. This training is typically concentrated in day-long excursions and multi-day residential field courses. The time and financial costs of these courses mean that they are spread infrequently across a degree programme. Field courses are of exceptional education value, but the lack of regular practice means that students can lose confidence in their abilities between courses. We recognised a need to bolster students’ confidence in their field skills, and when the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020 the need to locally deliver field skills training became more acute. Most geological field skills (e.g. orienteering, rock identification, measuring structural data), coalesce around mapping outcrops.

We combined a hypothetical geological map with available campus space to make an outcrop plan, and installed the rocks on Campus Sterre with help from local building stone and quarry companies and the Directie Gebouwen en Facilitair Beheer (DGFB).

We aimed to create a geologically realistic site on campus to help students practise their field skills.

Rock Garden blocks had to be positioned carefully to make sure they dipped at exactly the right angle.

 

Outcome

We achieved our aims in 2021, creating the Rock Garden in time to be used for teaching in the 2020/21 academic year in partial mitigation of coronavirus restrictions. We have been able to use the Rock Garden to teach both specific field measurement techniques and the holistic data collection of a geological mapping exercise. Students’ enthusiasm for the Rock Garden was very high, and the quality of work was comparable to that expected on a ‘real-world’ field course, suggesting that the Rock Garden can provide similar education value to an additional field trip, for regular training of geological skills. Finally, we are developing supporting materials for the Rock Garden, including a field guide and website, for students and teachers.

The Rock Garden brings the essence of field skills training on campus, making learning more accessible and boosting student confidence in their field skills.

Students practice strike and dip measurements on a Rock Garden outcrop.

 

Broader values and future lessons

Accessibility issues make field courses a barrier to a geoscience education. The Rock Garden makes field skills training more accessible. Whilst not a substitute for existing courses, the Rock Garden is a high-quality complementary resource to ‘real world’ field teaching. 

 

The results and impact of this education innovation project were published in 'Geoscience Communication'. 

 

• Tip 1: Focus on developing skills, i.e. the how, rather than the what.
• Tip 2: A field course on campus offers students the opportunity to practice key skills more frequently and revisit the site whenever they need.
• Tip 3: Reach out to the broader public by posting signs with QR codes for more information and public engagement.