Comparative Planetology Inferred From The Geodesy Of The Terrestrial Planets And The Moon Applied To An Entry Level Geology Course Using Systems Thinking PDF Download

Geodesy is the study of the shape of the Earth, where gravity and topography, both measured by orbiters, are used to map Earth, the terrestrial planets, and the Moon. Earth is studied on a global scale, as well as on a regional scale, by zooming in on regions of specific tectonic settings and activity as a means to compare geologic settings among one another, as well as structures of different age and characteristics within a given setting. The terrestrial planets and the Moon are studied on a global scale by cutting the data at various spherical harmonic degrees in order to assess their history, along with their (dis)similarities relative to one another. Each method leads to a catalog of patterns which are specific to a tectonic setting on Earth, and can be used to identify features on another planetary body. These analyses are conducted with the data that are currently available and can be greatly improved as more data becomes available. Geodesy links all aspects of Earth's history and evolution together. As a result an understanding of geodesy is hypothesized to have a positive impact on a student's learning of basic geology. The Systems Thinking teaching technique using stocks and flows is predicted to have a higher impact on students' understanding of basic geology compared to that gained by lecturing. Both hypotheses are tested in three Geology 210: "Earth History and Evolution" labs throughout the course of one semester at Washington State University. Quizzes are administered in lab to assess improvement, and performance is compared among the three labs. Both hypotheses are found to be valid: an understanding of geodesy helps students better understand the material covered in lab and lecture, and Systems Thinking activities on geodesy allow for a better understanding and rate of progress than lectures on geodesy. This study should be conducted in larger groups, and provided that results are reproduced, the Systems Thinking activities should be introduced as part of the regular weekly labs for entry-level geology courses.