Online Geoscience

Abstract

Complimenting the geoscience examples reviewed in the Online Science Strategies section of this book, our focus in Chapter 11 is to present a more discipline-centered review of representative published examples from the geosciences. Our review takes account of courses, virtual fieldtrips, virtual laboratories, collaboration, virtual science museums and the relationship of the emerging cyberinfrastructure to the geosciences. Our goal is to provide the reader with a diversity of models and resources to consider in the development of new online or blended geoscience courses or to support the systematic improvement of existing ones. Additionally, our impetus here is to highlight the particular design requirements to achieve learning outcomes in an online science course, such as the design of practical work. Our discussion begins with a review of recent trends in undergraduate geoscience education.