Getting the Most Out of Analogies in the Geoscience Classroom
Leaders
Nicole LaDue, Northern Illinois University
Allison Jaeger, Mississippi State University
Lydia Sandefur, Northern Illinois University
The goal of this workshop is to present up-to-date findings about how to most effectively use analogies to promote learning in the geoscience classroom. One of the most basic ways humans learn is by identifying alignments to existing knowledge. This is particularly important for the geosciences because the temporal and spatial scale of geologic events is often beyond human perception. Workshop participants will be able to: identify the source, target, and mappings of an analogy; describe effective strategies to use analogies in the geoscience classroom; and develop an activity for their own classroom to engage students in analogical reasoning.
Primary Audience
The primary audience is instructors of introductory and upper-level geoscience courses who want to use analogies effectively. We are targeting this population to improve translation of research to practice.
Goals
- Identify the source, target, and mappings of an analogy,
- Describe effective strategies to use analogies in the geoscience classroom, and
- Develop an activity for their own classroom to engage students in analogical reasoning.