Oz Soils v3.0
Oz Soils version 3.0 is now available!
(Click here to view and print the order form)
For details on classroom teaching licences, please contact the authors:
Dr. Peter Lockwood (e-mail: plockwoo@metz.une.edu.au)
Dr. Heiko Daniel (e-mail: hdaniel@metz.une.edu.au)
You can also download a demo version of the Oz Soils program to review the interactive features.
About Oz Soils
Oz Soils is an interactive multimedia program designed to teach the core concepts and processes of soil science. Soil is one of Australia's most valuable and fragile resources. It is therefore crucial that future resource managers have a thorough understanding of how soils behave and interact with other ecosystem components. Oz Soils incorporates a flexible self-directed learning structure to help achieve this understanding. The program can be readily integrated into a range of study areas which require a basic understanding of soil science, including agriculture, forestry, natural resources, ecology, biology, geology, geography and engineering. Oz Soils 3 has been substantially expanded from previous versions and now features 18 fully developed study modules. A glossary and many extra references are included, making Oz Soils 3 an even more valuable study resource.
Sections
- The Nutrient Cycle - Interactivity and animations allow the user to explore the role soil plays in the flow of nutrients through ecosystems. There are modules on the soil solution, adsorbed ions, soil organic matter, soil organisms, plants and animals.
- The Hydrological Cycle - Students can explore the dynamics of water infiltration, movement and soil erosion, and the concepts of water retention and potential.
- Soil Structure - Students are introduced to soil texture, aggregation, soil strength, and a hierarchy of soil structure.
- Soil and the Landscape - Students can explore the processes of soil formation and the relationship between soil and environment. Students are introduced to the practical methods of field soil description, and can broaden their appreciation of Australian soils by investigating soils at selected sites across Australia.
Availability
Oz Soils 3.0 is available on dual-platform CD-ROM, offering equal access to both Windows and Macintosh users.
Teaching uses
Self-guided study - Distance and isolated students appreciate the interactivity.
Laboratory class and fieldwork preparation - Students benefit from working through Oz Soils modules before classes.
Lectures - Animation and QuickTime movies help lecturers explain soil processes and structure.
Tutorials - Computer laboratory tutorials can be based on Oz Soils modules.
Student comments
- "Generally an excellent program which has helped me a significant amount in understanding concepts in soil science."
- "...Much easier than learning out of a textbook."
- "Clear, concise information."
- "Easy to use."
- "Makes you think!"
- "Excellent graphics."
The authors
Peter Lockwood and Heiko Daniel are lecturers in soil science in the School of Rural Science and Natural Resources at the University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia. Both have a strong interest in exploring the potential benefits of technology-assisted teaching.
More info
Click here to view some Oz Soils 3.0 sample screens (200k).
Click here to try an interactive animation of cation exchange capacity measurement (this is an interactive animation (87kB) created with Macromedia Director which requires your browser to support a Shockwave player; depending on your monitor you may need to increase your viewable area to display the full animation).
Awards
Oz Soils 3.0 - Finalist (Honourable Mention), Pearson Education UniServe Science Teaching Award 2000
Reviews
Oz Soils 2.0 by Dr. Ann Young (School of Geosciences, University of Wollongong) in UniServe Science News Volume 11 November 1998
References
Daniel, H., Lockwood, P.V., Stewart, C., and McLoughlin, C. (2001). An investigation of the enabling features of the Oz Soils CD program to scaffold transfer of conceptual understandings from independent learning contexts to laboratory and real-life contexts. In R. Phillips (ed.), Learning-centred evaluation of computer-facilitated learning projects in higher education. Commonwealth of Australia, Australian Universities Teaching Committee, ISBN 086905-824-X, Chpt 6, 79-91.http://www.tlc.murdoch.edu.au/project/cutsd01.html
Lockwood, P.V. and Daniel, H. (1998). What does interactive multimedia offer as a tool for teaching tertiary science? In C. McBeath and R. Atkinson (eds), Planning for Progress, Partnership and Profit. Proceedings EdTech'98. Perth: Australian Society for Educational Technology. http://www.ascilite.org.au/aset-archives/confs/edtech98/pubs/articles/lockwood.html
McLeod, R. J., Daniel, H. and Lockwood, P.V. (1998). A Study of learning strategies used by students with the Oz Soils interactive multimedia program. In C. McBeath and R. Atkinson (eds), Planning for Progress, Partnership and Profit. Proceedings EdTech'98. Perth: Australian Society for Educational Technology. http://www.ascilite.org.au/aset-archives/confs/edtech98/pubs/articles/mcleod.html
Lockwood, P.V. & Daniel, H. (1997). Computer-assisted teaching in soil science. Sciences of Soils [On-line serial], 2. http://www.hintze-online.com/sos/1997/Articles/Art5