Introduction:
This is a design of the module 'Introduction to Geology' embedding digital technology.
This course combines the study of geology with digital technology. The goal is to provide undergraduate students of geoscience with a comprehensive understanding of the Earth's structure, formations, and processes through immersive, interactive, and impactful learning experiences.
Digital technology will play a crucial role in our course content delivery (McKiernan and Ní Shé, 2022), which comprises geological reference material, online forums, and personalized support as well as hybrid in-class and virtual lectures.
Through digital platforms, students will have access to many resources, including real-world case studies, simuations, and videos that create engaging learning experiences. Specially, AI such as ChatGPT, which is a hot topic in educational field (Cotton et al., 2023), is also designed into the teaching and learning pratices.
In addition, the use of digital technology promotes agile problem-solving skills, transcends the limitations of traditional borders and classroom settings, and enables 24/7 access to information on any internet-connected device. Utilizing digital tools to learn also improves digital literacy skills, important in today's society for lifelong learning (Nørgård, 2021).
This design considers the challenges of embedding digital technology (Fawns, 2022). It's a content-based design that considers access to resources/devices, communication, and the workload of students and teachers. The classification of the application of digital technology in the SARM model (Hamilton et al., 2016) is noted. Related resources are provided, and most are open-accessed or free. In the mind map, I also highlight the advantage of digital technology.