Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
The Paleobiology Database (PaleoDb) is an underutilized educational resource that can provide the raw material for active learning activities for undergraduate geology courses. The PaleoDb was initiated as the Phanerozoic Paleofaunal Database, supported by the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS). The goal of the database is to compile all paleontological data on all fossil organisms, from the Proterozoic to the Pleistocene, in one location. Active learning encourages students to engage material through reading, writing, talking, listening, reflecting and presenting. This results in higher retention rates because students are required to independently synthesize and explain the material. Although this approach has been demonstrated to increase student participation and retention, active learning approaches have not been widely implemented in paleontological education at the undergraduate level. Two classroom activities for paleontology and historical geology courses have been developed using data from the PaleoDB. Topics include climate change, paleogeography and local fossils. These activities are designed so that students must become familiar with using the PaleoDB to complete the exercise. Students in one course taught at a four-year college were divided into two groups: (1) those taught in lecture format versus (2) those taught the same concepts using the PaleoDB-based activity. Both populations were assessed post-educational intervention to quantify understanding and retention. Results show that students in the activity group tended to achieve higher quiz grades than students in the lecture groups. This seems to indicate that active learning has a positive effect on student retention rates.
Date Awarded
2014
Department
Geology
Recommended Citation
Howe, Elysia R., "Utilizing the Paleobiology Database in Undergraduate Education" (2014). Geology Senior Theses. William & Mary. Paper 314.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/geologyseniors/314
