Using
Ground Penetrating Radar in Archaeological Digs: A Faculty
Profile of Dr. Harry Jol
by
Jennifer Smith, TTT Editor
For
the last two summers, UW-Eau Claire professor Harry Jol
has taken part in an amazing adventure in the Israeli
desert. His goal? To uncover archaelogical evidence of
settlement in the Cave of Letters in eastern Israel, the
site where where Jewish refugees took shelter from the
Romans in the second century C.E. and probably the first
century C.E. As an expert in ground-penetrating radar
(GPR), Jol conducted extensive surveys of the cave to
determine which areas would be most fruitful for digging.
Although GPR has been firmly established as a tool for
digs out in the open, Jol's work marks the first time
that GPR has been successful in a cave environment, where
one would expect waves to go astray and bounce off cave
walls. Not only was Jol's work highly effective, the expedition
itself has become the subject of two forthcoming documentaries.
(March 2001)
Geology
on the Web and in the Classroom: Designing a Curriculum
for Non-Science Majors
Professor Alan J. Scott, Physics, University of Wisconsin-Stout
Professor
Scott describes his work designing a geology curriculum
for non-science majors, placing a special emphasis on
the online version of the course. He has incorporated
not only interactive elements to keep the students engaged
and help them connect science to contemporary issues,
but also allowed students to help determine how they are
evaluated. (Dec. 2000)
Online
Weather Studies: A Unique Introductory Course in Atmospheric
Science Delivered via the World Wide Web
Professor James A. Brey, UW-Fox Valley
Professor Joseph M. Moran, UW-Green Bay
Professors
James Brey (UW-Fox Valley) and Joseph Moran (UW-Green
Bay) participated in the spring 1999 piloting of a new
course developed by the American Meteorological Society
(AMS), "Online Weather Studies." Designed for adaptation
to both conventional, lecture-based formats and distance
learning, the course helps instructors introduce the basics
of atmospheric science to students using real-time data
for analysis. Brey and Moran discuss their experiences
with the course, how they tailored it for their students
to maximize learning, and course outcomes.
Interactive
Learning on the Web:
AOS 101
Professor Steve Ackermann
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, UW-Madison
Steve
Ackermann describes his interactive web-based course on
weather and climate and how it provides an alternative
to the traditional lecture format. By exploiting the interactive
nature of the web, he enables students to engage in self-paced
learning and individual instruction through online exercises
followed by immediate feedback.
Virtual
Weather Maps
Professor Jonathan Kahl
Department of Geosciences, UW-Milwaukee
ABSTRACT
(with no feature article)
Professor Kahl uses instructional technology in his Atmospheric
Science courses. His introductory meteorology courses
are based entirely on electronic presentation techniques
and feature daily weather discussions using a World Wide
Web-based "virtual weather map room." Students
use this electronic resource in their assignments. Other
electronic resources Kahl uses in his classes include
online examinations and study guides and an image gallery
which contains photographs of cloud types and other weather
phenomena. Professor Kahl's Web site is located at
http://www.uwm.edu/~kahl
You can reach Professor Kahl at kahl@csd.uwm.edu