Web-Based Tools for Teaching Dendrochronology

This article describes two web-based tools for teaching den-drochronology, the scientific study of tree rings, and presents quantitative evaluations of their value in a large class. Because of its wide scientific applicability, dendrochronology is appro-priate for teaching in a wide array of courses, including those in the fields of natural resources and life sciences. Until recently, professors have not had quick and efficient ways to teach basic tenets of tree-ring analysis, including crossdating. One strategy is to apply technological tools, especially the World Wide Web, to teaching topics such as dendrochronology generally and cross-dating specifically. To fill this need, I developed a Java-language applet simulation for teaching crossdating by skeleton plotting. I also compiled a web-based module on forest fire management in the Southwest, a real and current environmental issue that in-corporates dendrochronology. To evaluate the effectiveness of these web-based teaching tools, they were used in a large course and the students were then surveyed and tested with multiple-choice and true-false questions covering the topics of crossdat-ing and forest firemanagement. The crossdating applet package resulted in substantial comprehension of what was a new concept for most of the students. The southwestern forest fire manage-ment module also resulted in significant improvement in un-derstanding of that complex environmental issue. I welcome other educators to use these web-based tools, currently availabl