STUDENT TRAINING FOR A SUMMER FIELD COURSE

Poor performance by potentially capable students during a summer field course in geologic mapping usually results from inadequate background in basic geology. Proper training to prepare for mapping should instill facts and principles, the use of three-dimensional visualization, and an acquaintance with the scientific method. Initial weakness in fundamentals lessens a student's accomplishments in structural interpretation, a primary objective of a mapping course. In light of this, some geology teachers would do well to reappraise their major program.