Gary R. Lowell DUE 9552209 Southeast Missouri State U FY1995 $ 50,442 Cape Girardeau, MO 637014753 ILI - Instrumentation Project: Geosciences Title: Enhancement of Courses in Mineralogy, Petrology, and Soil Science with X-Ray Diffraction Laboratory Experiences This project improves instruction in geoscience and soil science courses through the incorporation of instruction in X-ray diffraction (XRD). The courses to be effected are Rocks and Minerals, Mineralogy and Petrology, Optical Mineralogy and Petrography, Clay MIneralogy, and Soil Classification and Resource Management. The XRD equipment also opens exciting investigations that can be pursued under Introduction to Geoscience Research and the capstone course, Senior Research and Seminar. The development plan involves introducing the XRD powder methodof identification early in the sophomore year followed by progressively more sophisticated mineralogical problem-solving in upper level courses. The impact will be assessed by student evaluation and peer observation of laboratory activities, and publication of the developments is anticipated.
