Karl Wirth

Learning About Thinking and Thinking About Learning part of Affective Domain:Activities
A document about learning provides background information for classroom activities to help students be more intentional about their thinking and learning

Reading Reflections part of Metacognition:Activities
Reading reflections are submitted online each day before class and after completing a reading assignment. Three short questions guide the student to reflect more deeply on their understanding.

Using an M&M® Magma Chamber to Illustrate Magmatic Differentiation part of Data, Simulations and Models:Workshop 03:Activities
submitted by Karl Wirth, Macalester College The M&M® magma chamber exercise was developed to provide students first-hand experience with the process of magmatic differentiation by fractional crystallization ...

Using Data to Teach Earth ProcessesAn Illustrated Community Discussion at the 2003 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America part of Data, Simulations and Models:Workshop 03:Activities
Karl Wirth Macalester College - The Petrology course at Macalester College is designed around a semester-long project. All laboratory and classroom activities within the course are directed toward understanding and ...

A Question of Numeracy: Is Self-Assessed Competency Registered on Knowledge Surveys Meaningful? part of Rendezvous 2015:Program:Abstracts
Geoscientists often use knowledge surveys to collect self-assessed competency data about learning and learning gains. If people believe that they can do something, how well can they actually do it? At first glance, ...

Assessing the Reasoning Component of Citizen-Level Science Literacy: Results and Implications from an 18,000 Student Study part of Rendezvous 2015:Program:Abstracts
We report results from a brief 25-item Science Literacy Concept Inventory (SLCI), which is a valid and reliable assessment instrument for addressing core concepts of citizen-level science literacy. The SLCI focuses ...

Understanding Graph Reading and Comprehension through Eye-Tracking: Evidence for the Expert/Novice Dichotomy part of Rendezvous 2015:Program:Abstracts
Graphical information is used in many aspects of our lives, including vocation, media, civic processes, scientific inquiry, and education, so graph comprehension is an essential skill for informed citizenry. ...

Better Learning Through Better Reading and Reflecting part of ACM Pedagogic Resources:ACM Teagle Collegium:Project Reports
Learning from texts is an essential skill for college success, and in an increasingly complex and interconnected world it is ever more important that students develop the intellectual and practical skills for lifelong learning. The aim of this project was to evaluate the impact of reading reflections on student reading, learning, and self-awareness as learners. Students submit reading reflections after completing each reading assignment. These reflections not only encourage students to read more regularly, they also promote content mastery and foster student development of monitoring, self-evaluation, and reflection skills. For the instructor, reading reflections can also be used to facilitate 'just-in-time' teaching. Our results thus far confirm that the introduction of reading reflections in our courses has resulted in significant improvements in student reading and course performance.

Reading Reflections part of ACM Pedagogic Resources:ACM Teagle Collegium:Activities

Knowledge Surveys part of Student Learning: Observing and Assessing:Activities
Knowledge Surveys consist of a series of questions that cover the full content of a course. The questions are designed to illustrate the different levels of understanding required for mastery of the content. Knowledge surveys can serve as both formative and summative assessment tools.

What are Students Learning in Your Course? Strategies for Assessment part of Earth Educators Rendezvous:Previous Rendezvous:Rendezvous 2016:Program:Afternoon Mini Workshops
What do we mean when we ask if students have "learned" something? Are some kinds of assessments better suited for specific kinds of learning? What are the purposes of assessing learning? This workshop ...

Advanced Modeling Programs: MELTS part of Integrating Research and Education:Teaching Phase Equilibria
Karl Wirth, Macalester College and Rachel Teasdale, California State University, Chico What is MELTS? MELTS is a software package designed to model phase (mineral, rock and liquid) relations during melting and ...