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DISCUSSION Chernicoff, S., and Whitney, D., 2007, Geology: An Introduction to Physical GSA TODAY | www.geosociety.org/gsatoday
Geology, 4e.: New Jersey, Pearson Prentice Hall, 719 p.
This study presents a lower limit on the vocabulary necessary
for students to understand textbooks, because italicized and Clark, S.K., Libarkin, J.C., Kortz, K.M. and Jordan, S.C., 2011, Alternative
non-technical terms with specific geologic implications were not conceptions of plate tectonics held by nonscience undergraduates: Journal
included. Consider this example: “Whenever slabs of continental of Geoscience Education, v. 59, no. 4, p. 251–262, http://dx.doi.org/10.5408/
lithosphere and oceanic lithosphere converge, the continental plate 1.3651696.
being less dense remains ‘floating,’ while the denser oceanic litho-
sphere sinks into the asthenosphere” (Lutgens et al., 2012, p. 31, Earth Science Literacy Initiative, 2009, Earth science literacy initiative: http://
italics added). This sentence illustrates the potentially over- www.earthscienceliteracy.org/index.html (last accessed Sept. 2009).
whelming amount of scientific terminology from which students
must extract deeper meaning, which may not happen if they are Fletcher, C., 2011, Physical Geology: The Science of the Earth: New Jersey,
focused on the terms (Graesser and Forsyth, 2013). John Wiley & Sons, 679 p.
Our findings raise questions about the purpose of introductory Graesser, A.C., and Forsyth, C., 2013, Discourse comprehension, in Reisberg,
textbooks (Bierman et al., 2006). If they are intended to be used as D., ed., Oxford Handbook of Cognitive Psychology: Oxford, UK, Oxford
reference books, then extensive glossaries are appropriate. University Press, p. 475–491.
However, if their purpose is to serve as a means for students to
deeply learn fundamental concepts, then large glossaries, as iden- Grotzinger, J., and Jordan, T., 2010, Understanding Earth, 6e: New York, W.H.
tified in this study, likely overwhelm that goal. Can there be a Freeman and Co., 710 p.
happy medium?
Groves, F.H., 1995, Science vocabulary load of selected secondary science
This study lays the groundwork for future work. The minimal textbooks: School Science and Mathematics, v. 95, no. 5, p. 231–235,
overlap between the textbooks studied suggests that the common doi: 10.1111/j.1949-8594.1995.tb15772.x.
language of geology is not defined at an introductory level. We
would argue that not all of the 44 overlapping terms, such as abra- Kortz, K.M., and Murray, D.P., 2009, Barriers to college students learning how
sion and joint, are necessarily essential for students to know, and rocks form: Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 57, no. 4, p. 300–315,
we hope to start a discussion about which terms (and relatedly, http://dx.doi.org/10.5408/1.3544282.
which concepts) should be covered in an introductory course. In
addition, because there is necessary jargon, we hope to further the Libarkin, J.C., and Kurdziel, J.P., 2006, Ontology and the teaching of earth
discussion about optimal ways to introduce students to it. system science: Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 54, p. 408–413.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Lutgens, F.K., Tarbuck, E.J., and Tasa, E.J., 2012, Essentials of Geology, 11e:
New Jersey, Pearson Prentice Hall, 554 p.
Partial support for this work was provided by the National Science
Foundation’s Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Technology, Marshak, S., 2008, Earth: Portrait of a Planet, 3e: New York, W.W. Norton
Engineering, and Mathematics (TUES) program under award no. 1244881. & Co., 929 p.
The authors thank Nicole LaDue, Jessica Smay, and anonymous reviewers for
their helpful reviews. Marshak, S., 2009, Essentials of Geology, 3e: New York, W.W. Norton & Co.,
776 p.
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Manuscript received 25 Nov. 2014; accepted 17 Mar. 2015. ♦
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