On this web page you will find the results of a term project which we performed this year (summer 2001). The idea of this new teaching scheme is to combine a small group of advanced (3rd year geosciences), highly motivated students to do a geochemistry project. The main idea is to have students work jointly and rather independently on a problem as a team. At the outset, the theoretical background was laid in a 1h teaching class and 1 h seminar. After sampling in the field, the students prepared the samples for analysis, arranged for lab time with the lab managers and reported weekly on the analytical progress. The seminar then turned into a discussion on analytical problems as well as the interpretation of the data. This discussion also lead to defining and selecting further analytical work.

After data collection, we went back to the Eifel for a full weekend, joined by Nick Petford from Kingston University http://www.kingston.ac.uk/geolsci/ to discuss the results and work on the report. Having Nick with us considerably widened the scope of the discussion. Having an international college along gave us all the feeling of doing something significant. Also important of our hiding away in the Laacher See Haus http://www.Laacherseehaus.de/, was that we did not get distracted and could (almost) complete the report.

As a main supervisor, I corrected only some of the English and suggested a few changes. However, the report as it stands is the direct results of the students efforts.

You will also find their evaluation at the end of the report. At the time of writing this introduction, this part was still under construction. Thus, I dont know yet what the students opinions are about this new form of teaching, However, I have made my own observations: All four have been highly motivated and they have all worked hard and long hours. At the end and in total over the entire term, the 6 working hours (as planned) per week were exceeded and this needs to be taken into account when crediting such a project.
I was particularly pleased to see how independently the group worked and how each students strength came into play as part of the team effort.

If the students judgement is positive, I will continue to offer this form of teaching to our advanced students.