A practical study of an intensive and experiential undergraduate course at the University of Hyogo in Japan：Geopark and Community

This study outlines a common intensive course named ‘Geopark and Community’ intended for undergraduate students of the University of Hyogo, and statistically examines the educational achievement of the course. The four-day course comprises a series of lectures along with teamwork and field activities at the San’in Kaigan UNESCO Global Geopark in southwest Japan. One of the objectives of the course is to introduce uninitiated students to the field of geoscience. Students visit geosites such as volcanoes, waterfalls, landslide areas, coastal locations and artificial caves of basalt. Students engage in activities such as interviewing people involved in local industries associated with the geopark. Group exercises require students to work on various topics. This paper describes the topics and results of this course based on documents such as image maps submitted by the students. The analysis of the image maps reveals that students were able to develop knowledge relating to the regional resources observed in the geopark. They might be able to establish connections between geomorphological features and local industries. Key words：geopark, educational program, image mapping, higher educationdepartmental bulletin pape