Mike Phillips

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OGLESBY — Illinois Valley Community College geology professor Mike Phillips will lead a technical session and give two presentations at the 121st annual meeting of the Geological Society of America Oct. 18-21 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland.

Phillips is co-convener of the session “Ensuring Geologic Controversies are Addressed with Good Science in the Classroom, the Community, and the Capitol” with Linda Rowan of the American Geological Institute in Washington, D.C.

Phillips will present

“Getting in on the ground floor: It pays to be involved in your community before scientific controversies arise.” The session outlines the benefits of community participation and how it pays off in the development of friendships, the satisfaction of sharing knowledge and the promotion of good science.

Phillips will give a second presentation titled “My Second Life: Using a Virtual World to Enhance Communication in an Internet-Based Class.” The session explores results of an online class enhanced by real-time interactions and an engaging environment provided in Second Life, an online virtual world.

“Online courses can be challenging for students because it can be difficult to connect with their instructor and other students,” said Phillips. “In Second Life, students living in Illinois, Utah and even Japan can all sit in the same ‘classroom’ and participate real-time in the class.”

Phillips’ co-author on the presentation is Bill Shields of Oglesby, a graduate of IVCC teaching in the geology department at Illinois State University.

More than 6,000 geoscientists are expected to attend the meeting.