Aims:

• To provide problems that utilize real-time oceanographic data on the internet.
• To aid development of understanding of the major concepts in oceanography.
• To provide an interactive extension of a variety of lecture topics.
• To utilize group learning activities in exploration of oceanographic data.
  

• The first exercise on oceanographic concepts and data introduces the style and characteristics of the on-line web-based exercises.
• The same questions are answered by all students.
• This exercise involves exploration of oceanographic data presented in the form of maps and graphs.
• There is a single discussion session (Jan. 16) to discuss the exercise and answer questions about it.
• Please review the questions for this exercise prior to the discussion session.
  

• Each student is given a placement code (GO TO GROUPS) that designates his/her group assignment.
• These codes (A, B, C or D) will be assigned during the second discussion sessions on Jan. 16, or by a subsequent email request.
• These groups appear within oncourse. Exercise Questions for each of the group exercises are ONLY available to students within that assigned group.
  
• All students who have NOT received or requested a group placement code are assigned to group X. Requests for group placement codes that provide access to the exercises should be made by email to both Simon.  
  
• Web-based exercises, with the exception of the preliminary concepts, have four succesive parts:
• A set of Group Questions for each exercise (worth 2%), which explore web-based oceanographic data, to be answered using oncourse before the group discussion session.
  
• A Group Discussion Session focused on the group questions leading toward learning activities exploring broader issues with multiple data sets.
• A second Final Discussion Session focused on the final questions for the exercise that require assessment of multiple data sets.
  
• A set of Final Questions (worth 5%) answered using oncourse building on these data aided by the discussion sessions.
  
• The timetable of events is as follows (The schedule of exercises is given below.):
• Group questions are posted on oncourse the week before the group discussion session. There are four separate sets of these preliminary questions for each exercise, involving exploration of different data, one for each student group code (A, B, C or D) .
• Discussion sessions involve sequential integration of the separate data sets through interactive group learning.
  
• The group discussion sessions are intended to:
• Enable discussion of data within specific groups and between different groups.
• Resolve questions about the data sets and the information or websites used for the exercise.
  
• The final discussions are intended to:
• Explore the multiple data sets and discuss the final questions using them.
  
• Additional web pages may be created to describe the range of data examined by each group.
• The same set of final questions is answered by all students. It is to be completed by 11:55 p.m. the following Wednesday (see timetable below).
• Group Questions:
• Answers to these questions (via oncourse) are required by 1:25 p.m. on Tuesdays prior to the discussion session.
• Points are awarded for completion of the group questions. The aim is to reward students for effort in preparation for the group discussion sessions. 
• The points allocation for individual group questions is as follows:
• Full points: all questions answered with reference to the data provided. 
• Points are deduced where questions are not addressed appropriately, for example where questions are not answered without explanation , where there is little evidence of effort, or where no answers are submitted when there has been no dialogue with instructors.  
• Group discussion sessions will consist of the following sequence:
• An initial presentation describing the aims of the exercise (5 minutes).
• Discussion within individual groups, evaluating responses to the same set of group questions (10 min.).
• Question and Answer session to address questions arising from the preliminary group questions (10 min.).
  
• Class discussion where groups can consider and comparing different group data sets (10 min.).
• Presentation of the objectives for the final questions (10 min.).
• Question and Answer session to address questions about the final questions (5 min.).
• Final discussion sessions will consist of the following sequence:
• An initial presentation describing the aims of the final questions related to the different group questions (10 minutes).
• Question and Answer session to address questions about the final questions (30 min.).
  
• Class discussion of the final questions (10 min.).
• All answers to Final Questions for each exercise should be submitted on-line via oncourse by the following Wednesday at 11:55 p.m. (see timetable below).
  
• All information for exercises I to VI, accessed from links within the individual exercises within oncourse is available to all students with group placement codes.
• All these exercises use data and information from selected web sites related to each particular topic. Many of these web pages are constantly updated.

Department of Geological Sciences,  1001 E. Tenth Street, Bloomington, IN 47405-1403 Phone: (812) 855-5582  Last update: 7 January 2007 Comments: simon@indiana.edu Copyright 2007, The Trustees of Indiana University