EARTH 540 will be conducted entirely on the World Wide Web. There are no set class meeting times, but you will be required to complete weekly assignments. Registered students in this course will need to navigate between several environments in the World Wide Web. These include:
Registered students should begin with the Course Orientation, located in the "Orientation" menu.
Not registered? Students who register for this Penn State course gain access to assignments and instructor feedback, and earn academic credit. Information about registering for this course and about the online Master of Education in Earth Sciences is available at http://earth.e-education.psu.edu [2].
EARTH 540 introduces knowledge and broadens understanding of the oceans and their role in climate, coastal processes, and life within the fluid Earth. You will gain insight into the physical and chemical processes that determine properties of the ocean and govern interactions between the ocean, atmosphere, groundwater, and the fluid/solid Earth. Topics will reinforce fundamental scientific principles such as heat transfer, chemical equilibrium, and conservation of energy.
The course will consist of topical lessons within three broadly defined units, plus a course orientation week at the beginning of the semester.
EARTH 540 will rely upon a variety of methods to assess and evaluate student learning. You will be required to: