Digital Empowerment of Vocational Geology Education: A Case Study of the "Mineralogy and Petrology" Online Course.

The digital transformation of vocational education provides opportunities to address persistent challenges in geology teaching. This study uses the national online course "Mineralogy and Petrology" as a case study to examine digitally supported teaching reform in vocational geology education. To address highly abstract course content, relatively passive student learning, and insufficient alignment between course content and industry development, the course team collaborated with industry, enterprises, schools, and research institutions to develop digital teaching resources, including animations, virtual simulations, three-dimensional (3D) models, and micro-videos. The traditional lecture-centered approach was reorganized to integrate digital resources with physical specimens, blended online and offline learning, and a dual-mentor system involving on-campus and off-campus instruction. The curriculum was structured into three progressive modules: Crystallography Fundamentals → Mineral Identification → Rock Identification. A closed-loop teaching cycle of Pre-class Diagnostic Exploration → In-class Skill Consolidation → Post-class Extension and Enhancement was implemented to track students' learning status and support timely adjustment of instructional strategies. A comprehensive evaluation system integrating process, outcome, and value-added assessments was adopted to evaluate students' learning and professional skill development. These components were organized within the "One Body, Two Combinations, Four Connections and Dual Integration" teaching paradigm. Professional values, including the "Three Glories Spirit of Geology" and craftsmanship spirit, were integrated throughout the teaching process. Following implementation, course observations and platform data showed positive trends in student engagement and academic performance, while vocational certification and competition outcomes provided additional indicators of practical skill development. Overall, the findings indicate that the digitally supported teaching model was associated with positive trends in student engagement and academic performance and supported the integration of digital visualization, physical specimens, practical training, professional values, and industry collaboration in vocational geology education.