Charles R. Ault

Criteria of excellence for geological inquiry: The necessity of ambiguity

According to Gowin, a curriculum properly derives its authority by representing the “criteria of excellence” for evaluating the claims produced within a field of inquiry. GowinOs epistemology applied to examples from geological inquiry yields criteria of excellence responsive to the demands characteristic of geological problems. Student efforts to learn these criteria hold the promise of making progress toward independence in accessing, using, and evaluating knowledge. This understanding contributes to the reformation of the concept of inquiry as a “step beyond science as process” called for in the National Science Education Standards and reinforces the need to consider the diversity as well as unity of styles of scientific reasoning. Geological inquiries differ from those of other sciences because they refer to objects with histories. These histories create a demand for concepts that necessarily contain an irreducible element of ambiguity, thus permitting comparison and contrast of geological objects. A case study of how geologists apply analogies, impose boundaries on categories of thought, and constrain the ambiguity of key concepts in reasoning about the accumulation of sediments at a continental margin is used to support this argument. Such examples of geological reasoning support a skeptical attitude toward interdisciplinary curricula that omit or oversimplify criteria of excellence.

Informal geoscience education on a grand scale: the Trail of Time exhibition at Grand Canyon

The Trail of Time exhibition under construction at Grand Canyon National Park is the worlds largest geoscience exhibition at one of the worlds grandest geologic landscapes. It is a 2-km-long interpretive walking timeline trail that leverages Grand Canyon vistas and rocks to guide visitors to ponder, explore, and understand the magnitude of geologic time and the stories encoded by Grand Canyon rock layers and landscapes. As one of a new generation of geoscience education exhibits, the Trail of Time targets multiple cognitive and affective levels with accurate content, active geoscience inquiry and interpretation, and place-based cultural integration. It developed as an outgrowth of sustained geoscience research funded by the National Science Foundation, with scientists as the conceivers and coordinators of the project. It benefits from a high level of synergy with the National Park Service interpretation division, as well as extensive on-site and off-site evaluation of pedagogic effectiveness in the outdoor informal science environment. The Trail of Time will impact many of the five million annual visitors to the National Park. Associated cognitive research on public understanding of “deep time” offers opportunities to inform more effective geoscience pedagogy for informal and formal educational settings.

One Size Fits None

Vexation A zoologist friend of mine once remarked, ‘‘The science is in the debate.’’ He was referring to community process—to scrutiny of contested claims in a public forum, with resolution dependent about judging the quality of inquiry. Those debating hold stature according to their expertise while aspiring to achieve explanatory ideals, which may be, in turn, under debate. Presumably, debate and scrutiny promote the progress of understanding as well as uphold standards of reasonable discourse. These ends (progress and reason) depend upon how a community of practice (Lave and Wenger 1991), in pursuit of shared purposes, organizes its patterns of interaction and communication. These patterns ought to restrain the irrationality of individuals and thus contribute to the common good. In large measure, the existence of the profession of science educators depends upon translating and transforming patterns characteristic of ‘‘what scientists do’’ into school science. This shared purpose permeates science educators’ community of practice and leads to educational as well as explanatory ideals. Among these are introducing science to novices as a culture—with distinctive patterns of discourse, methods of investigation, and approaches to adjudicating disputes made explicit. The science education community, in concert with political processes and policies, has codified this aim into various state and national standards for teaching and learning science. These standards function to hold students (and schools) accountable to prescribed ends; these ends embodying what scientists do and know. Central to this codification for the sake of accountability is the depiction of what patterns of communication and interaction among scientists promote progress in understanding and the achievement of explanatory ideals.

The Ghost Forests of Cascadia: How Valuing Geological Inquiry Puts Practice into Place

ABSTRACT Interpreting the hazards and appreciating the privileges of living in a particular place draw upon insights from multiple disciplines. Seemingly self-evident, this perspective stands as a counterpoint to the depiction of scientific practice as unified and independent of discipline in standards for the education of all Americans. Inquiry adapts in distinctive ways to different kinds of problems. By deciphering the distribution and timing of the demise of cedar trees—ghost forests—U.S. Geological Survey geologist Brian Atwater uncovered the threat of great subduction zone earthquakes in Cascadia. In research that interprets place, diverse inquiries cohere and bind local citizens to an appreciation of their landscape. Practices characteristic of geological inquiry, organized to interpret place, emphasize temporally and geographically restricted solutions, not universal knowledge. The importance of such practices casts doubt on the merits of scientific unity promoted by standards-driven reform.

Linking middle‐school teachers to EarthScope

EarthScope is a multidisciplinary geophysical investigation of the structure and deformation of the North American continent. Components include a transportable array of digital seismometers (USArray) that will image the continental crust and underlying mantle, and Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers and strainmeters (Plate Boundary Observatory, PBO) that will measure tectonic and volcanic deformations Translating geophysics for kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) teachers and their students involves inviting them to explore new understandings of how Earth works. When they construct their understanding of Earth science through geophysical problem solving, these learners can engage in Earth-Scope, which offers unprecedented public access to data from seismology and geodesy.