Save paper, save time? Digital answer entry during in-person geology labs (a pilot study)

Описание: This talk was presented at the Atlantic Geoscience Society's 2022 annual Colloquium. It presents the results of a pilot study of the use of digital devices to record and auto mark responses in in-person geology labs.

JASON LOXTON AND LILIAN NAVARRO
Department of Mathematics, Physics, and Geology, Cape Breton University
Abstract: The shift to online learning in Nova Scotia during the 2020-2021 academic year forced faculty to digitize activities that would traditionally be done using paper and pen. This included geology labs, which needed to be completed using a digital interface, even where physical specimens were provided by mail. While adopted by necessity, digital data entry offered several significant advantages over paper and pen: 1) many questions can be set for automated grading, allowing for real time feedback to support student learning; 2) automated marking of fact-based questions frees up instructor time, allowing them to concentrate on more intellectually taxing activities; 3) digital entry eliminates the risk of misplaced labs; and 4) digital entry significantly reduces the paper required (a positive environmental step). The transition back to in-person learning provided an opportunity to test whether these benefits could be retained by having students enter answers using a digital device, while working in a laboratory setting with physical specimens. The results of a pilot study of digital answer entry, conducted in an introductory Engineering Geology lab over the 2021 fall semester at Cape Breton University (n = 30) are reported. This pilot demonstrated the feasibility of utilizing digital entry, using the tools offered by the Moodle learning management system; general acceptance of a digital interface (69% preferred digital entry or were neutral); and—somewhat surprisingly—student tolerance for smart phone-only data entry. However, it also highlighted limitations, including periodic technical glitches, high initial instructor effort (during lab buildout), and difficulty accommodating short answer questions.