22^nd International Conference on Teaching And Learning

Using Commercial Video to Enhance Earth Science Instruction

Abstract: The presenter has collected over 400 hours on documentaries on the subject of Earth Sciences to take the student from inside the earth to distance solar systems and galaxies. Although a three credit class has only 45 hours of instruction, the presenter has the student watch about thirty 45 minute videos and record video notes into a Video notebook to enhance the classroom instruction.

Full Description: Over 30 years ago, the presenter used the best technology of the day, static transparencies as well as expert guest speakers to enhance his chalk talk in an introductory earth science course. Today, the transparencies are history as the presenter has collected over 400 hours of professional video shown on television which supplement today’s power point chalk talks in an introductory earth science course at Florida State College @ Jacksonville. The “guest” speakers are experts from all over the work in short sound bites on these videos, from Stephen Hawkins to Morgan Freeman, the actor. The animation is spectacular. Quizzes are taken online to save class time. Although a three credit course has only 45 hours of instruction, about 30 hours of video are selected from the vast library of films. Students are given handouts to make guided notes during the videos and later submit as a video notebook. The student creates two test questions in the video notebook for each film that a student should be able to answer simply by watching the film. The concluding statement for the film is the Ah! Ha! or the Discovery Statement: “What did you discover from this film that you did not know before watching this film?” Since Liberal Arts students take this course, 50% of the course is devoted to writing versus a class dependent primarily on testing of science facts and principles. There are also four written projects (papers). The student’s favorite project is Earth Science via Hollywood movies. The student is asked to discuss the fact versus the fiction in the film, not regurgitate the storyline of the film.