ASSESSMENT OF TRANSFERRING EARTH SCIENCES DISCIPLINES IN ORDER TO MERGE KNOWLEDGE

Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences of the University of Cadiz implemented the Bolonia Process in the academic year 2009/2010. Since its implementation the subject Geophysics and Tectonics started to be taught together; otherwise theory and practice lessons are explained independently. Besides, it is imparted on different levels of educational degree: 2nd (56 students) and 4th (35 students) year of the Marine Sciences degree and Environmental and Marine Sciences degree respectively. It contains 6 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).The practical involve 6 sessions of 2.5 hours duration per lesson. Due to the concurrence of some contents as in Geophysics as in Tectonics we suggested the implantation of a new activity. That new enterprise was designed with the aim of merging both areas and the knowledge achieved should be revealed. In particular, paleomagnetism was the topic which we chose to assess it. A total of 70 students were evaluated to verify or not, if they were able to assimilate both fields in the same context. Undergraduate students were assessed by the submission of a written work. They were provided by magnetic field information. From that data students drew a geological map where certain structures might be shown. Moreover, they answered several questions related to the lesson. We compared this practice lesson results with other lessons where similar contents were addressed, but only one of these disciplines was involved. We observed that students presented difficulties to blend the same subject studied in different disciplines into one perspective.