Supporting teachers and students in geology for over 30 years

We are a group of geoscience academics committed to sharing and disseminating best practice to improve learning but also to encourage more young people to enter the discipline. Between us, we have a long and successful track record of doing this, starting in the early 1990s by developing 4 of the 21 courseware modules for the UK Earth Science Courseware Consortium (UKESCC, hefce-TLTP-funded 1992-1996). This experience developing online learning materials naturally progressed to being the lead site for TRIADS, an online assessment for learning outcomes project involving 30 UK HEIs and over 12 disciplines (hefce-FDTL-funded 1996-2000).

We were also the lead site for the “Fieldwork is Good” project, which involved 7 UK HEIs and investigated the effectiveness for learning of residential field courses (HEA-GEES-funded, 2001-2). This breadth of experience led to a consultancy role for the multi-million-pound eLearning Place project (EU-ERDF 2002-6) before moving into the development of open educational resources (OER) by converting 3 of the original UKESCC modules into Xerte-based OERs (JISC and HEA-GEES 2009-11).

It was this last development, along with increased development of resources for schools through our long-running parallel CPD programme for Geology A-level teachers, that led to the development of the original Geo-OER website which was relaunched as GeoHub Liverpool in 2019.

Teachers and students looking at model
Students on a field trip

Grants and Funding

  • University of Liverpool Higher Education Impact Fund – £36k for “Next Generation Geoscience” (2018-2019)
  • HEA-GEES – £3000 to develop an open educational resource for fieldwork safety (2011)
  • HEA-GEES/JISC-OER – £10,000 to convert selected UKESCC courseware pieces to Xerte-based OER pieces (2009-2010)
  • HEA-GEES – £500 to attend Affective Domain Workshop at Carleton College, USA (2007)
  • HEA-GEES – £1500 to support widening participation workshop for Year 11 and 12 school science pupils (2007)
  • HEA-GEES – £2500 to investigate undergraduate 2D perception of 3D structures (2007-2009)
  • BP plc – £21, 413 to develop video microscope resources for undergraduate mineralogy and petrology (2007)
  • TQEF – £22,000 for “Studio Teaching in Structural geology” (2005-2008)
  • EU ERDF – £2,400,000 The Learning Place Bid with CONNECT, Dr Colin Charlton, Prof Terry Russell (CRIPSAT) and others to provide complete online learning and assessment system for delivery via web and interactive digital television. (2003-2006)
  • University of Liverpool T&L Fund – £1200 for “WebCT pilot project” (2002-2003)
  • EU ERDF – £800,000 The Learning Place Bid with CONNECT, Dr Colin Charlton, Prof Terry Russell (CRIPSAT) and others to provide proof of concept for technical delivery of materials via interactive digital television.
  • LTSN-GEES – £8500 for “Field work is good. The student view.” with Sarah Maguire (Ulster) and others (2001-2002)
  • University of Liverpool T&L Fund – £12500 for “Survey of the effectiveness of distance learning” with Prof. C.R.C. Paul (2000-2002)
  • University of Liverpool T&L Fund – £2500 for “Key Skills and Subject Benchmarks: Mapping Earth Science Courses” (2000-2002)
  • HEFCE Fund for the Development of Teaching and Learning – £29,919 for continuation of “Development, evaluation and dissemination of a computer-based assessment system for testing learning outcomes” (1999-2000).
  • HEFCE Fund for the Development of Teaching and Learning – £199,649 for “Development, evaluation and dissemination of a computer-based assessment system for testing learning outcomes” (1996-99).
  • University of Liverpool Teaching and Learning Fund – £11,000 for a pilot study in computer-based assessment (1995).
  • UK Earth Science TLTP Consortium – £12,303 for development of courseware module on ‘Petrogenesis of Granites’ (1993).
  • UK Earth Science TLTP Consortium – £12,303 for development of courseware module on ‘Palaeontology’ (1993).
  • UK Earth Science TLTP Consortium – £12,730 for development of courseware module on ‘Exploration Geophysics’ (1994).
  • UK Earth Science TLTP Consortium – £12,730 for development of courseware module on ‘Phase Diagrams in Igneous Systems’ (1994).

Select Publications

Boyle, A. P, Maguire, S., Martin, A., Milsom, C., Nash, R., Rawlinson, S., Turner, A., Wurthmann, S. & Conchie, S., 2007. Fieldwork is good: the student perception and the affective domain. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 31(2), 299-317.

Boyle, A. P. & Paul, C. R. C., 1998. Benchmarking subject learning outcomes: Earth Science case study. In: Pilot Studies in benchmarking assessment practice (ed Jackson, N. J.), pp. 62-66, Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, London.

Boyle, A. P. & Paul, C. R. C., 2004. Use of the TRIADS assessment system to deliver and improve mineralogy tests at Liverpool University. In: Advances in Computer Aided Assessment (eds O’Hare, D. & Mackenzie, D. M.), pp. 77-91, Staff and Educational Development Association Ltd, Birmingham, UK.

Boyle, A. P., 1995. The STATE OF PLAY: CAL in GEOLOGY – University of Liverpool. GeOcal, 13, 6-7.

Boyle, A. P., 2002. A reflective study on the use of CAA to test knowledge and understanding of mineralogy. In: 6th International CAA Conference (ed Danson, M.), pp. 51-62, University of Loughborough.

Boyle, A. P., 2003. Reflection, alignment and mineralogy. Planet, Special Edition 5, 62-65.

Boyle, A. P., 2007. The affective domain — report on a workshop at Carleton College. Planet(18), 49-50.

Boyle, A. P., 2007. Using alignment and reflection to improve student learning. Elements, 3(2), 113-117.

Boyle, A. P., 2012. Re-purposing TLTP-UKESCC resources as Open Educational Resources (OER). Planet(25), 61-64.

Boyle, A. P., Bryon, D. N. & Paul, C. R. C., 1997. Computer-based learning and assessment: a palaeontological case study with outcomes and implications. Computers & Geosciences, 23(5), 573-580.

Boyle, A. P., Conchie, S., Maguire, S., Martin, A., Milsom, C., Nash, R., Rawlinson, S., Turner, A. & Wurthmann, S., 2003. Fieldwork is good? The student experience of field courses. Planet, Special Edition 5, 48-51.

Boyle, A. P., Kokelaar, P. & Williams, M., 2008. Raising Earth Science awareness amongst Year 11 & 12 school students. Planet(19), 15-20.

Boyle, A. P., Paul, C. R. C. & Bryon, D. N., 1996. Using UKESCC products at the University of Liverpool. Earth Science Courseware Newsletter, 4, 8-11.

Boyle, A. P., Potts, G. J., Williams, M. & Williams, T. J. P., 2006. Preliminary report on studio teaching in Earth Sciences: a way to improve students’ problem-solving abilities? Planet, 17, 34-36.

Boyle, A. P., Prior, D. J. & Heath, A. E., 2010. Using portfolio assessment to engage Level 1 Geoscience students in their subject and to develop their learning skills. Planet(23), 12-15.

Boyle, A. P., Russell, T., Smith, S. & Varga-Atkins, T., 2004. The eLearning Place: progress report on a complete system for learning and assessment. In: 8th International CAA Conference (ed Ashby, M.), pp. 71-77, University of Loughborough.

Boyle, A. P., Ryan, P. & Stokes, A., 2009. External drivers for changing fieldwork practices and provision in the UK and Ireland. In: Field Geology Education: Historical Perspectives and Modern Approaches (eds Whitmeyer, S. J., Mogk, D. W. & Pyle, E. J.), pp. 313-322, Geological Society of America Special Paper 461, Denver.

Bryon, D. N., Atherton, M. P., Boyle, A. P. & Wheeler, J., 1996. Phase Diagrams in Igneous Systems, United Kingdom Earth Sciences Courseware Consortium: Module 15, Manchester, U.K.

Bryon, D. N. & Boyle, A. P., 1994. Petrogenesis of Granitic Rocks, United Kingdom Earth Sciences Courseware Consortium: Module 11, Manchester, U.K.

Hatton, S., Wooff, C., Byrne, S. & Boyle, A. P., 2002. The use of PGP to provide secure email delivery of CAA results. In: 6th International CAA Conference (ed Danson, M.), pp. 151-162, University of Loughborough.

Hughes, P. & Boyle, A. P., 2005. Assessment in the Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences and Environmental Studies. Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (GEES), Plymouth.

Mackenzie, D. M., Boyle, A. P., Edwards, D. J. & Paul, C. R. C. P., 1998. Better assessment through a learning outcomes and computer-aided approach. In: The Association for Science Education 1998 Annual Meeting, pp. 24, University of Liverpool.

Mackenzie, D. M., O’Hare, D., Paul, C. R. C., Boyle, A. P., Edwards, D. J., Williams, D. & Wilkins, H., 2004. Assessment for Learning: the TRIADS Assessment of Learning Outcomes Project and the development of a pedagogically-friendly computer-based assessment system. In: Advances in Computer Aided Assessment (eds O’Hare, D. & Mackenzie, D. M.), pp. 11-24, Staff and Educational Development Association Ltd, Birmingham, UK.

Paul, C. R. C. & Boyle, A. P., 1998. Computer-based assessment in palaeontology. In: Computer-assisted assessment in science education: case studies in science and computing (eds Charman, D. & Elmes, A.), pp. 51-56, University of Plymouth.

Stokes, A. & Boyle, A. P., 2009. The undergraduate geoscience field work experience: Influencing factors and implications for learning. In: Field Geology Education: Historical Perspectives and Modern Approaches (eds Whitmeyer, S. J., Mogk, D. W. & Pyle, E. J.), pp. 291-312, Geological Society of America Special Paper 461, Denver.

Truscott, J. B., Boyle, A. P., Burkill, S., Libarkin, J. & Lonsdale, J., 2006. The concept of time: can it be fully realised and taught? Planet(17), 21-23.

Williams, M., Williams, P. & Boyle, A. P., 2011. Using internet-based problem-solving activities to enhance students’ understanding of 3-dimensional spatial relationships. Planet(24), 68-75.

Williams, M., Williams, P. & Boyle, A. P., 2014. Development of an Online Field Safety Open Educational Resource using Xerte. Planet.

Williams, T. J. P., Williams, M. & Boyle, A. P., 2010. Rock Deformation and Geological Structures, University of Liverpool, Liverpool.

Williams, T. J. P., Williams, M. & Boyle, A. P., 2010. Using the compass/clinometer, University of Liverpool, Liverpool.

Williams, T. J. P., Williams, M. & Boyle, A. P., 2012. Field Safety, University of Liverpool, Liverpool.