Conceptest: Cooling and composition indicators of Igneous Rocks

David McConnell, Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University

Created with funding from NSF CCLI Award #0087894. Author Profile

This material was originally created for On the Cutting Edge: Professional Development for Geoscience Faculty
and is replicated here as part of the SERC Pedagogic Service.

Question:

What is the most likely cooling rate and composition of a light colored, small grained igneous rock?
A. Cooled rapidly, low silica
B. Cooled rapidly, high silica
C. Cooled slowly, low silica
D. Cooled slowly, high silica

Student Responses:

These responses were collected from 200 non-majors (mostly freshmen) in multiple large (60+ students) introductory Earth Science classes at an open-enrollment Midwestern state university.
A. 6% of students chose this answer
B. 70% of students chose this answer (correct)
C. 8% of students chose this answer
D. 16% of students chose this answer

References and Notes:

The use of ConcepTests and Peer Instruction is discussed in detail on the ConcepTest page.

McConnell, D.A., Steer, D.N. and Owens, K.A., 2003, Assessment and Active Learning Strategies for Introductory Geology Courses, Journal of Geoscience Education, 51(2), 205-216.

McConnell, D.A., Steer et al., 2006, Using Conceptests to Assess and Improve Student Conceptual Understanding in Introductory Courses, Journal of Geoscience Education, (54(1), 61-68.