Interviews with professional geologists enhance learning about the applied aspects of economic geology for final-year university students

A novel learning intervention has been developed and tested in which honor’s level Earth science students were tasked with conducting interviews with established geologists working in the Southern African minerals sector. The task was designed using Laurillard’s conversational framework as a theoretical underpinning, which offers an iterative and communicative approach to learning. The teaching goals for the task were that students would come to understand the role of the geologist in the minerals sector, and that students would have exposure to developing professional networks. Data from student feedback surveys showed that the learning intervention was a success and that both goals were achieved. Because of the depth of knowledge accessed from the interviewees, students attained a much deeper level of understanding of the role of the geologist in the minerals sector. The success of the intervention is further discussed in terms of knowledge and social capital transfer across the university–industry interface and in terms of developing graduate attributes.