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Interactive
CD ROMs in the Geosciences: An Instructional
Tool
ULMER-SCHOLLE, DANA S., and SCHOLLE, PETER A.
In the geological sciences, interactive CD ROMs are becoming a common way to
provide self-paced training in either an academic or corporate setting. Unlike
more traditional modes of teaching, interactive CD ROMs permit the individual to
easily integrate a variety of medias - still pictures (petrography, photography,
diagrams, etc.), video and sound. This allows the incorporation of information
from megascopic to microscopic scales and pacing that maximizes student learning
rates.
Kodak Photo CDs provide the most basic form of interactivity and are easily brought into the classroom using a Photo CD player and a television or are playable on Macintosh-, PC- and Sun-based computer systems.
More complex interactive CD ROMs require a computer, but they provide more
advanced capabilities. A single module can be developed for variety of skill
levels (or languages) by using different sound or text tracks with a common set
of visual data. Glossaries and bibliographies can easily be integrated into
modules to provide additional levels of information. Also, tests can provide
feedback on the individuals comprehension and progress as they work their way
through the material.
While interactive CD ROMs may never completely take the place of being on
field trips or taking classes, they are an ideal way to supplement an
individual's knowledge by providing them with a non-threatening environment to
first get acquainted with the material. In addition, interactive
CD ROMs can now
be inexpensively created using a variety of desktop computer systems and
programs.