Indiana University Department of Geology
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Zhu is an active participant of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Program at Indiana University. In 2006, he became a Fellow of Lilly Freshman Learning Project. He is particularly interested in integrating his environmental research with teaching non-science majors basic environmental and scientific literacy.
Friday, September 24, 2010, Dogwood Room, Noon - 1:30pm
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The Case Study Method for the Assessment of Student Learning: Using Scientific Reasoning and Deep Geological Time to Predict Future Environmental Impacts In this research project the investigators examined the effectiveness of using a case-study about local environmental issues to assess student learning in an introductory environmental science course. In conjunction with distance-metaphor building exercises and other scaffold learning activities employed throughout the semester, the case-study determined how successful non-science undergraduates were at conducting scientific reasoning to understand and apply the concept of deep geological time. |
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Upcoming events
Keynote address & Workshop
Title: Decoding Deep Geological Time and the Advancement of Scholarly Teaching
Chen Zhu, Leah Shopkow, and George Rehrey, Indiana University
an event of
“Decoding Scholarly Teaching and Student Learning”
February 17 – 18, 2011
Kent State University
This presentation will discuss scholarly teaching and its relationship to both theories of difficulty and disciplinary ways of knowing. We also distinguish between “bottlenecks” to learning and threshold concepts, before moving on to completed project where students are asked to understand and apply the concept of deep geological time.
Based upon the seven-step “Decoding the Disciplines” process, this research project examined the effectiveness of using a case-study method about local environmental issues as a way to assess student learning in an introductory environmental science course. In conjunction with distance-metaphor building exercises and other scaffold learning activities employed throughout the semester, the final assessment determined how successful non-science undergraduates were at conducting scientific reasoning to understand and apply the concept of deep geological time.
Current Project:
Learning Deep Geological Time in Environmental Geology, with George Rehrey
Publications:
Imai, T. and Zhu, C., (2002) Undergraduate research in the hydrological laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh.
Geological Society of America Abstr. with Programs, v. 34, no. 6., p. 203.
Zhu, C. G. Rehrey, B. Treadwell, C. C. Johnson, Looking Back to Move Ahead: How Students Learn Deep Geological Time by Predicting Future Environmental Impacts. Journal of College Science Teaching - A peer-reviewed journal published by the National Science Teachers Association. Submitted May 15, 2010.
Course Portfolio:
Principles of Hydrogeology (G451) Click for
Table of Content
Geochemical Modeling (G586) Click for
Table of Content
Current Offerings at Indiana University
This is an introductory level, service course for non-science majors with large (>100 student) enrollment. Many students take this course to fulfill a B.A. degree in education, business, social sciences, and humanities. Students are introduced to the concept of the scientific method; dynamic earth systems; geological principles and processes as related to global climate changes, water resources, environmental contamination, and earthquake, landslide, flood, and volcano hazards.
Principles of Hydrogeology (G451), Indiana University
This is an advanced undergraduate and introductory graduate level course. The course introduces the principles and practices of physical and chemical hydrogeology.
Geochemical Modeling (G586), Indiana University
I have developed this new course. This course introduces students to both batch type geochemical models and mass transport processes in environmental and geological systems. Students have the opportunity to acquire hands-on experience with popular geochemical codes such as minteqa2, phreeqc, and eq3/6. The book for this course is "Environmental Applications of Geochemical Modeling," authored by myself and Greg Anderson and published by Cambridge University Press.
Professional Short Course
In fall 2005, I was invited to give a three-day short course on Geochemical Modeling at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. The sixteen participants came from the University of the Witwatersrand, University of Free State, University of Swaziland of Swaziland, Masaryk University of Czech Republic, Anglo Platinum, Angola Gold Ashanti, South Africa Nuclear Energy Corporation, Eskom (the largest electric utility company in Africa), SRK Consultants, and Golder Consultants.
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