1. Development of Web-based Field Classes for Earth Science Teaching in the North of Ireland
There is no other metropolitan area of NW Europe with the diversity of rock strata than in the Greater Belfast Area.
So why do we need web-based learning aids?
Alastair Ruffell & Brian Whalley,

2. Of the eras of the Phanerozoic (550 million years to the present, these are present:
Tertiary  Antrim basalts
Cretaceous  Ulster White Limestone
Jurassic  Lias shales
Triassic  Mercia Mudstone, Sherwood Sandstone
Permian  Brockram, Magnesian Limestone
Carboniferous  Cultra shales & limestones
Devonian X
Silurian  Co. Down greywackes & shales
Ordovician  “
Cambrian X

3. So why do we need web-based learning aids?
Paucity of people who have the time to undertake field classes.
Need to encourage schools, general public, researchers (esp those from outside N.I) and our students into the field.
Need to use technology to aid those with mobility restriction experience field science.

4. Methodology is two-tiered
1. Academic staff make virtual field classes for demonstration to large classes, for reinforcement, revision, assessment on the web and for wider access through Environment & Heritage Service.
2. Student projects can emulate and improve the above.

5. Talk structure
Example of a student project - Belshaw’s Quarry, Lisburn.
Use of such virtual trips in assessment.
Example of how the student developed this during employment.

6. Virtual tour of Belshaw’s Quarry, Lisburn
Case Study
Virtual tour of Belshaw’s Quarry, Lisburn

7. Tertiary Antrim Lava Group
Stop 5
Stop 2
Stop 1
Cretaceous Ulster White Limestone
Overview of the quarry from Stops 3 & 4,
Facing north-east.

8. What are we going to do?
Visit these stops and link them into
a geological summary for student learning

9. Young beds
The cliff is about 12 metres high
Old beds
Stop 1. Horizontally-bedded Ulster White
Limestone.

10. At the UWL - basalt contact, a 20 - 40cm thick bed
of lignite (brown coal) is found. This is the evidence
for uplift and exposure of the Cretaceous rocks in the
Tertiary prior to basaltic lava eruption
Next view of
Stop 2
Stops 1 & 2: faulted Triassic Mercia Mudstone, Cretaceous Ulster White Limestone and Tertiary basalt

11. Slickenfibres (vertical)
Fault
plane
Location 2. Fault block and base Cretaceous U/C
Triassic - Cretaceous unconformity
Stop 2

12. Location 2: under fault plane, unconformity between Triassic Mercia Mudstone and Cretaceous Ulster White Limestone

13. Contact of basalt & limestone
Tertiary basalt
Next shot
Cretaceous Ulster White Limestone
Clay &
lignite
Stop 3. On the steps, facing south-east.

14. Stop 3: close-up facing west.
Lignite (black, not brown, possibly from
heating by basalt lava)
basalt
20p
Sub-lignite grey clay -
a fossil soil?
Weathered top
of limestone

15. Location 4: Tertiary dyke cross-cuts Tertiary lava flows (basalt)
Location 4: Tertiary dyke cross-cuts Tertiary lava flows (basalt). Both have vesicles (fossil gas bubbles) and amygdales (infilled gas bubble holes) of 1cm diameter

16. Stop 5: Tertiary basaltic dyke cuts
Ulster White Limestone. Dyke trends
NW - SE.
dyke
Next view
in this direction
Before quarrying operations, the dyke
extended across the area as one “wall”
of basalt

17. Stop 5: Tertiary basalt dyke cross-cuts Cretaceous Upper White Limestone

18. Here is our original view of the quarry,
Now lets put our geological information on -

19. Belshaw’s Quarry, facing north-
east
Ground surface
Stop 4
Stop 3
Stop 3
Stop 1
Stop 2
Here is what we saw at each stop:
now lets put it together in diagram form!

20. Artwork by Maura Pringle

22. Assessment structure for lecturer trips
Overview,
Aims, Objectives
Student: register,
name number,
Questions,
Introduction
etc
Modules,
M1 …..
M2 …...
M3 ……
Over-view 1
Questions 1
Over-view 2
Questions 2
'Scenes' 1
Extra
info 1
'Hints' 1
'Scenes' 2
Extra
info 2
'Hints' 2
Student file
Answers
Given, 1, 2
'Solutions',
reminders,
notes
Tutor file