Kazuya Iida

The purpose of this study was to assess how the use of binocular stereomicroscopes and polarized light microscopes in the observation of igneous rocks affects the students’ learning. The results of the classroom practice with 219 junior high school students in this study revealed the following three points, the first being the effect on pupils’ ‘interest’. Comparing binocular stereomicroscopy and polarized light microscopy, it was found that the students’ interest in microscopic observation of igneous rocks was comparable when using both types of microscopes. The second point clarified in the study was the students’ awareness of the ‘relationship between naked eye observation and microscopic observation’. In this lesson, the students felt that both microscopes provided information that could not be obtained by naked eye observation. The third point revealed from the results was the influence on pupils’ ‘comprehension level of naked eye observation’. The results of the classroom practice demonstrated that the students were more likely to focus on the microstructure in classifying volcanic and plutonic rocks when using the binocular stereomicroscope than the polarized light microscope.

In this study, we focused on inudation forecasting of topography, and examined how 3DCG and physical model teaching materials affect the understanding topography. The following three findings were obtained from the results of classroom practice using 3DCG and physical model teaching materials. The first is the effect of using only 3DCG or physical models on the understanding of topography. Statistical analysis showed that for characteristic landforms such as valleys and plateaus, both teaching materials were significantly more accurate in predicting inundation than 2D topographic maps. The second point is the effect of combining the 3DCG teaching materials and the physical model teaching materials. The mean number of correct responses to inundation forecasts for microtopographic features such as depressions on a plateau was significantly higher when both materials were combined effectively than when observed alone. The third point is the difference between the effects of the 3DCG teaching materials and the physical model teaching materials on the understanding of the topography. A quantitative textual analysis suggests that the ability to zoom in and out for the 3DCG materials and the use of the sense of touch for the physical model were useful for understanding the topography.