scholarly journals Deep oceanic submarine fieldwork with undergraduate students, an exceptional immersive experience (Minerve software)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianne Métois ◽  
Jean-Emmanuel Martelat ◽  
Jérémy Billant ◽  
Muriel Andreani ◽  
Javier Escartin ◽  
...  

Abstract. We present the content and scripting of an active tectonic lab-session conceived for third year undergraduate students studying Earth Sciences at Observatoire des Sciences de l’Univers of Lyon. This session is based on a research project conducted on the submarine Roseau active fault in Lesser Antilles. The fault morphology is particularly interesting to map as this structure in the deep ocean is preserved from weathering. Thus high resolution models computed from Remotely Operated Vehicle videos (ROV) provide exceptional educational material to link fault morphology and coseismic displacement. This5class, composed of mapping exercises on GIS and virtual fieldwork, aims at providing basic understanding of active tectonics,and in particular active fault morphology. The work has been conducted either in a full remote configuration via 3D online models or in virtual reality (VR) in a dedicated room using the Minerve software. During the VR sessions, students were either alone in the virtual environment or participated as a full group, including the teacher (physically in the classroom or remotely, from another location), which is to our knowledge one of the first attempts of this kind in France. We discuss on the efficiency10of virtual fieldwork using VR based on feedback from teachers and students, and we conclude that VR is a promising tool to learn observational skills, subject to certain improvements which should be possible in the years to come.

Solid Earth ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 2789-2802
Author(s):  
Marianne Métois ◽  
Jean-Emmanuel Martelat ◽  
Jérémy Billant ◽  
Muriel Andreani ◽  
Javier Escartín ◽  
...  

Abstract. We present the content and scripting of an active tectonic lab session conceived for third-year undergraduate students studying Earth sciences at Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers in Lyon. This session is based on a research project conducted on the submarine Roseau active fault in the Lesser Antilles. The fault morphology is particularly interesting to map as this structure in the deep ocean is preserved from weathering. Thus, high-resolution models computed from remotely operated vehicle (ROV) videos provide exceptional educational material to link fault morphology and coseismic displacement. This class includes mapping exercises on geographical information systems and virtual fieldwork to provide basic understanding of active tectonics and active fault morphology in particular. The work has been conducted either in a full remote configuration via 3D online models or in virtual reality (VR) in a dedicated room using the Minerve software. During the VR sessions, students were either alone in the VR environment or participated as a group that included the instructor (physically in the classroom or remotely from another location), which is to our knowledge one of the first attempts of this kind in France. We discuss the efficiency of virtual fieldwork using VR based on feedback from teachers and students. We conclude that VR is a promising tool to learn observational skills in Earth sciences, subject to certain improvements that should be possible in the years to come.


2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elmir GURBANOV

The goal of the article is to find out the challenges of grading in student self and peer-assessment from teachers’ and students’ perspectives and to suggest ways to cope with them. Peer and self-assessment have accumulated a great significance in the last few decades related to vast application of the cognitive approach and the attempts of making students active agents of educational process rather than passive recipients of information. The overwhelming majority of modern educators believe that these concepts are the cornerstones of modern pedagogy and contributes to the promotion of learner autonomy to a great extent. Therefore, they lead to an improved learning environment and better learning outcomes. However, the concepts have some challenges when it comes to the final stage - grading. Depending on the social, cultural, and educational background, grading of the peer and self-assessment may be accompanied by hesitation and uncertainty as well as subjectivity and lack of reliability. In this work, the issue was investigated from two perspectives, teacher and student, to find out how the stakeholders perceive the problem and what can be done to cope with challenge of grading in self and peer-assessment. The research uses a questionnaire consisting of 20 questions with participation of 31 teachers and 100 students at Qafqaz University, Baku, Azerbaijan, to come to the conclusion about the issue addressing the challenge. The work is believed to be useful for educators to apply self and peer-assessment effectively, and also it can be a useful source for further research in the field.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huda Alqunayeer

The primary goal of the present study is to identify the problematic areas in the pronunciation of the letter “g” in English written words made by Saudi female learners of English as a foreign language, and the reasons for the weakness associated with mispronunciation of English written words which contain this letter. The population of the study was the female students (90 students) and their English language teachers (12 teachers) at the Qassim University during the academic year (2014-2015). There were two types of instruments used in this study. The first was a pronunciation test for the student participants in order to investigate the problematic areas of pronouncing “g” in different environments in different words; and the second a questionnaire for the teacher participants to provide comprehensive data about the causes of these errors of pronouncing “g” committed by EFL female students at Qassim University. Ninety female students were included for the pronunciation test and 12 teachers were asked to answer the questionnaire. Simple percentage was used for analyzing the data of recording words (pronunciation test). Results of the students’ recording words revealed that the participants mispronounced “g” before nasals (68%). According to the results of the teachers’ responses to the questionnaire suggested many factors that can cause difficulties for students in terms of pronouncing “g” in English written words. According to them, these difficulties are concerned with reading difficulties, nonstandard spellings, letters that follow “g” (many of them may become combinations), loan words, orthography (no correspondence between the English alphabets and their sounds). The researcher offers recommendations that might help teachers and students to overcome and reduce these mispronunciations of this letter in English written words.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 139-155
Author(s):  
Olga Stognieva ◽  
Victor Popov

This study conducted in an EFL setting investigates students’ perception of the thesis proposal presentation in an online format due to safety concerns during the Covid-19 pandemic. Fifty-five students aged 20-22 years old, level B2-C1 in English, in their fourth year of a Business Informatics Bachelor’s programme at HSE University, Moscow, were surveyed regarding their end-of-course assessment experience, which involved a Skype online presentation, rather than the usual face-to-face presentation. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire consisted of 3 sections and 12 items. A mixed-method approach using quantitative and qualitative data was employed. The findings indicate that emergency transition to the new format did not affect students’ satisfaction or results of the presentation. Overall, students were more than satisfied with the online format, and the results were similar, if not better, than in previous years. To minimise the disadvantages of this format, recommendations for teachers and students were offered. This study might offer new insight on the most appropriate and beneficial oral testing system for students and staff.


Author(s):  
Chuan-Yung Huang ◽  
Yi-Chun Hung ◽  
Chee-Seng Tan ◽  
Siew-May Cheng ◽  
Shun-Hao Hu

AbstractThe impact of demoralization among the general population has received little attention due to the lack of an appropriate measurement. Three studies involving 1,143 high school and undergraduate students in Taiwan were thus conducted to develop and validate a tool to assess demoralization. A pool of 50 items was first developed and administered to high school students. Exploratory factor analysis results supported a 5-factor solution with 15 items (Study 1). Study 2 compared the potential models using confirmatory factor analysis and found the 5-factor second-order model with 15 items the best fit model. The 15-item Mandarin version of Demoralization Scale (DS-M-15) was also found to have good internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and (concurrent and predictive) validity in a sample of undergraduate students (Study 3). Taken together, the converging findings show that the DS-M-15 is a promising tool for assessing demoralization among Chinese adolescents and emerging adults.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-214
Author(s):  
Nafise HOSEINI ◽  
◽  
Shahram BAFTI ◽  
Reza DERAKHSHANI ◽  
Mohammad GHANBARIAN ◽  
...  

Morphotectonic indices are useful instruments for investigating the effect of tectonic activity in a certain region. Calculation of these indicators using the advantages of Geographical Information System, GIS, in a large area is useful for detecting potential disorders related to active tectonics. This method is useful in regions on which few morphotectonic studies have been conducted. An example of such areas can be the watersheds of the Sirch mountainous region. The watersheds of the Sirch region located in Central Iran’s zone in the southeast of Iran are a very ideal zone to evaluate the concepts of these indicators in the prediction of the relative tectonic activity according to the investigation of drainage systems or mountain fronts. Based on the values of the calculated indices including Form Factor (FF), Compaction Coefficient (CC), Ratio of Circularity (RC), Ratio of Elongation (RE), relative Basin Height (BH), and Ruggedness Number (RN), a final indicator called Active Tectonic Indicator (ATI) is obtained. The latter is a combination of the abovementioned indicators and evaluates the morphotectonic activity based on the shape of the watersheds. By measuring and combining these indicators, the tectonic activity stage of the Sirch region was determined by analyzing the watersheds of this region.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gajendra Sharma ◽  
Toshika Ojha

This study explores how the first-year undergraduate students in School of Engineering, Kathmandu University learns their very first programming language i.e. C programming. The students were requested to response to an online questioner, where they were asked about their perception about the programming language they are learning, their motivation on learning that particular language and their strategy on preparing for the subject. Student’s concept on C programming and their approach for preparing for the exam are categorized. Our results show what kind of different strategies they use to learn this particular programming language. Additionally, the insights of this paper point that learning theory of programming and practicing programming goes hand in hand in C programming course and the focus here is on learning difficult topics which involves investigating students perceptions and conceptions of causality in relation to learning difficulties (Berglund et al., 2009). This study is intended to be helpful for future teachers and students in programming courses in Nepal.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martine Simoes ◽  
Timothée Sassolas-Serrayet ◽  
Rodolphe Cattin ◽  
Romain Le Roux-Mallouf ◽  
Matthieu Ferry ◽  
...  

<p>The quantification of active tectonics from geomorphological and morphometric approaches most often implies that erosion and tectonics have reached a certain balance. Such equilibrium conditions may however be seldom found in nature, in particular because drainage basins may be quite dynamic even though tectonic and climatic conditions remain constant. Here, we document this drainage dynamics from the particular case example of the Bhutan Himalayas. Evidence for out-of-equilibrium morphologies have for long been noticed in Bhutan, from major (> 1 km high) river knickpoints and from the existence of high-altitude low-relief regions within the mountain hinterland. These peculiar morphologies were generally interpreted as representing a recent change in climatic and/or tectonic conditions. To further characterize these morphologies and their dynamics, and from there discuss their origin and meaning, we perform field observations and a detailed quantitative morphometric analysis using Chi plots and Gilbert metrics of drainages over various spatial scales, from major Himalayan rivers to local streams draining the low-relief regions. We first find that the river network is highly dynamic and unstable. Our results emphasize that the morphology of Bhutan does not result from a general wave of incision propagating upstream, as expected from most previous interpretations. Also, the specific spatial organization in which all major knickpoints and low-relief regions are located along a longitudinal band in the Bhutan hinterland, whatever their spatial scale and the dimensions of the associated drainage basins, calls for a common local supporting mechanism most probably related to active tectonic uplift. Our results emphasize the need for a precise documentation of landscape dynamics and disequilibrium over various spatial scales as a first-order step in morpho-tectonic studies of active landscapes.</p>


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 33-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yahya Ashour Mohammed Alkhoudary

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of utilizing weblog on facilitating teaching writing at Buraimi University College (BUC) and to explore the extent to which a blog as a computer-mediated tool enhances learners' writing skills in English as a foreign language e(EFL), English as a second language (ESL). Vygotsky's model will be adopted in this study. Furthermore, a process approach is employed to involve students in writing. A mixed-method of qualitative and quantitative was embraced. Three instruments were used to answer the research questions of the study. The participants consisting of 60 students, were placed into two groups: 30 students for experimental group (Ex.G.) and 30 for the controlled group (Cont. G.). Also, 30 EFL teachers (15 males and 15 females) were selected randomly. Pre-and post-tests were assigned to both groups before and after incorporating weblog as a teaching tool. Questionnaires were distributed to (Ex. G) to check the effect of using a weblog on students' writing quality. Interviews were also conducted with both teachers and students. The findings reveal that the students of weblog group significantly outperform their counterparts. This study concludes that integrating weblogs in teaching is of paramount importance to language learners and a promising tool in higher education.


2020 ◽  
Vol 74 (5) ◽  
pp. 563-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wangquan Ye ◽  
Jinjia Guo ◽  
Nan Li ◽  
Fujun Qi ◽  
Kai Cheng ◽  
...  

Depth profiling investigation plays an important role in studying the dynamic processes of the ocean. In this paper, a newly developed hyphenated underwater system based on multi-optical spectrometry is introduced and used to measure seawater spectra at different depths with the aid of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The hyphenated system consists of two independent compact deep-sea spectral instruments, a deep ocean compact autonomous Raman spectrometer and a compact underwater laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system for sea applications (LIBSea). The former was used to take both Raman scattering and fluorescence of seawater, and the LIBS signal could be recorded with the LIBSea. The first sea trial of the developed system was taken place in the Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea, in June 2015. Over 4000 multi-optical spectra had been captured up to the diving depth about 1800 m at maximum. The depth profiles of some ocean parameters were extracted from the captured joint Raman–fluorescence and LIBS spectra with a depth resolution of 1 m. The concentrations of [Formula: see text] and the water temperatures were measured using Raman spectra. The fluorescence intensities from both colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and chlorophyll were found to be varied in the euphotic zone. With LIBS spectra, the depth profiles of metallic elements were also obtained. The normalized intensity of atomic line Ca(I) extracted from LIBS spectra raised around the depth of 1600 m, similar to the depth profile of CDOM. This phenomenon might be caused by the nonbuoyant hydrothermal plumes. It is worth mentioning that this is the first time Raman and LIBS spectroscopy have been applied simultaneously to the deep-sea in situ investigations.


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