the "Blank Page" problem

If you find you are having a hard time answering the exam questions or with things covered in class, feel free to come and talk to me about them. In fact, I beg you to talk to me about the concepts and/or methods that help you learn better ... how else can I improve in teaching the subject? ... ultimately helping you.

From my experience so far, I've noticed that students struggle with what I call the "blank page" problem. That is, you're given an empty page that requires you to fill in space with lines and interpretations. When looking at this empty page you have no clue where to start, which leads to extreme frustration and in some cases a learning block... even after a hint or given the answer you still can't figure out where it came from.

To help with this problem:

(1) Clarification of components. Make sure you know what the question is asking, or what each of the visual pieces represent. For example, if you don't know what that random vertical line cutting into a profile section represents and it's not mentioned in the problem description... don't hesitate to raise your hand and ask.

(2) Focus on things you can observe. For example, observe the order of stratigraphy and mark areas of repeated or omitted sections. Or observe changes in dips. Variations are good to observe... or you can observe there are no variations.

(3) Think about geologic features that could explain those observations. Structural features like faults and folds are common in this class. Go through your notes or textbook and ask yourself, "how would the stratigraphy/rocks deform in this scenario?", then compare and contrast to your observations.

(4) Most importantly.... BREATHE! Take your time! Don't allow yourself to get SO frustrated that you want to pull your hair out. Take a walk. Talk to me or another classmate. In some cases I need to use a different teaching method or you need another couple of days to wrap your head around it.

Seismicity May of Australia