Improving students' rocks identification skills through service-learning

Abstract

This paper reports on a service-learning component introduced in an upper-level undergraduate geology course. Students identified rock types used by a local countertop manufacturing company and made fliers describing their mode of formation. Students then completed a final rock identification exam. To assess the effect of participating in the service-learning on students' rock-identification abilities, an Independent Samples t-test was used to compare scores of students that completed the course to those from previous semesters who did not participate in service-learning. Students who participated in service-learning achieved higher final rock identification exam test scores (M = 91.71, SD = 1.59) in comparison to those who did not take part in any service-learning activity (M = 80.36, SD = 1.88), t (19) = 4.59, p < .05. Service-learning projects that involve local geology related industries, thus, can facilitate knowledge sharing between the University and the community.