An Integrative Summer Field Course in Geology and Biology for K-12 Instructors and College and Continuing Education Students at Eastern Washington University and Beyond

Abstract

For the last fifteen years, a small group of faculty members in the departments of geology and biology at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, WA have offered a seven to ten day interdisciplinary summer field course. The course is designed for college students, K-12 instructors, and for those seeking continuing education experiences. We have been successful in attracting students who take the course repeatedly and continue to draw a pool of new students by providing a different route each year within a 1280 km (800 mi) radius of our institution. Our academic expectations are rigorous and include reading assignments, pre-trip questions, field notebooks and journal entries as well as a research paper and follow-up post-trip questions all of which are designed to capitalize on the integration of the two disciplines. This field course is one way in which we get our students out in the field for a trip longer than a day trip or weekend trip to learn about the interaction of geology and biology on both small and large scales in the scenic Pacific Northwest. We suggest that this technique of integration may be applied to field courses at a variety of academic institutions and in any physiographic province provided that three critical aspects in the successful implementation of our approach are met: (1) Two (or more) faculty in different fields that are willing to work together during preparation and execution of the course; (2) A clear primary objective or overarching theme for the course that is well-defined and that lends itself to an integrative approach; and (3) A prominent National Park or significant geographic feature to enhance the interest in the course and to draw enrollments.