3 Out of the Classroom, Out of the Box: Innovative Approaches to Geoscience Education

Thursday, 1 April 2021
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Syn Terra Corporation Room

GETTING TO GRIPS WITH UNTOUCHABLE SAMPLES: ONLINE 3D GEOLOGICAL SPECIMEN MODELS ON SKETCHFAB.COM

Paper number: 3-7
Program: Theme Sessions
Time: 10:00 AM – 10:20 AM

Authors

Abstract

Sketchfab.com is a web-host for 3D digital models and is home to a large and growing collection of geological models, chiefly fossils, minerals, and rock specimens. A global community of geoscience modelers has evolved to supply 3D models to Sketchfab.com with the goal of supporting online and distance-learning in the earth sciences. Disruption to traditional instruction methods due to the COVID-19 pandemic spurred interest in the use of these models and the generation of a more comprehensive suite in 2020, which led us to develop a free, online catalog of Sketchfab.com hosted geoscience models. Our catalog is a Google Sheet and is searchable by rock or mineral name, general type (e.g., igneous, silicate), source, etc., and has a URL linked directly to the model. The goal of the catalog, that was supported by a National Science Foundation RAPID award in summer 2020, is to make searching for specific models, especially high-quality ones, easier for geoscience educators. The catalog and exemplary models are accessible through a dedicated West Virginia University webpage.

In this presentation we will draw attention to the catalog and the diversity of models listed in it. We will also demonstrate some examples of how we have used 3D models in our teaching, both as online substitutes for hands-on access and as supplementary learning materials. Finally, we will try to address some of the pitfalls we have identified and ways to mitigate them based on our own experiences.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 53, No. 2

doi: 10.1130/abs/2021SE-362295

© Copyright 2021 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the author(s) of this abstract to reproduce and distribute it freely, for noncommercial purposes. Permission is hereby granted to any individual scientist to download a single copy of this electronic file and reproduce up to 20 paper copies for noncommercial purposes advancing science and education, including classroom use, providing all reproductions include the complete content shown here, including the author information. All other forms of reproduction and/or transmittal are prohibited without written permission from GSA Copyright Permissions.