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How Big is Big? The Translation of the Enormity of Geologic Time in an Informal Learning Environment

By Robert Brzuszek and Renee Clary.

Published by Design Principles and Practices: An International Journal

In design and science education, students often encounter difficulties in relating, interpreting, and communicating the enormity of landscape scale and geologic time. This case study utilized a Landscape Architecture Design 1 class (N=24) to explore design solutions for an informal geology education exhibit in front of a university building in the southern United States. The project explored different ways in which scale can be abstracted into an outdoor display, and resulted in student opportunities for the representation of enormously large time frames within a small informal setting. The collaboration between a landscape architect and a geologist facilitated students’ greater understanding of geologic spatial scale and its influence upon design context. Evaluation of students’ solutions was accomplished through the dual lens of design elements and geology content knowledge: Pre- and posttests ascertained both students’ geological knowledge gain and application through the design process. Students who successfully incorporated geologic time in their designs addressed large scale conceptions in project research, exhibited higher geologic content knowledge at the conclusion of the project, and employed abstract metaphors in their project designs.

Design Principles and Practices: An International Journal, Volume 2, Issue 4, pp.69-78. Article: Print (Spiral Bound). Article: Electronic (PDF File; 1.767MB).

Robert Brzuszek

Assistant Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA

Renee Clary

Assistant Professor, Department of Geosciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA