Geoscience Classes Research Articles

Common-sense teaching for the 2020s: Ungrading in response to covid-19 and beyond

Conventional letter- or number-based grading systems, though ubiquitous at all levels of education, do not optimize the learning experience. The philosophy of “ungrading” includes a variety of approaches that decenter or even remove numeric or letter scoring of student work in favor of descriptive feedback, opportunities for revision, self-assessment and reflection, and assessment toward mastery. This paper presents one of the few published descriptions of the use of ungrading approaches in geoscience courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. We showcase four approaches, detailing the courses and ungrading structures used, positive outcomes and challenges, and tools that might allow others to apply these methods. We describe (a) mastery and specifications grading, chosen to promote mastery of course materials in mid- and upper-level courses for college majors; (b) labor-based grading used to promote depth of student learning by focusing on revision; (c) collaborative grading utilizing self-assessment and reflection chosen to promote meta-cognition and growth mindset; and, (d) partial ungrading as a means to begin the ungrading process. Importantly, our experiences have led us to recognize the equity that ungrading approaches create, enabling students from different backgrounds, including students of color and disabled students, to find stronger support and build greater competence and confidence in geoscience classes.

Big data to support geoscience recruitment: Novel adoption of topological data analysis in geoscience education

As the need for a well-trained science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce continuously grows, the need for science majors—including geoscience majors—is ever increasing. Despite this, low numbers of majors across geoscience programs continue to persist and may be the result of many students not being exposed to geoscience concepts early in their education or having misconceptions about who is able to participate in geoscience and what these careers may look like. The application of topological data analysis (TDA), an algorithm that allows researchers to explore multidimensional data with more nuance than traditional clustering methods, represents a new tool for quantitative investigation within geoscience education. The results of TDA from a large-n survey of students in introductory geoscience classes about their perceptions of geoscience and likelihood of pursuing geoscience careers provides insight into students, including those traditionally underrepresented in geoscience, who could be recruited into the discipline. Insights into this novel application of data science methodology to educational research are provided alongside recruitment recommendations for students traditionally underrepresented in the geosciences.

Thriving, Persisting, or Agonizing: Integrated Math Anxiety Experiences of University Students in Introductory Geoscience Classes

Many factors may contribute to women being underrepresented and marginalized in college-level geoscience majors. Limited research has examined students’ math anxiety as a possible factor. To address the dearth of research, we conducted a qualitative study to explore the math anxiety experiences held by students in college-level geoscience classes. Through analysis of students’ written math narratives, we identified three themes capturing students’ integrated math anxiety experiences (IMAEs), which integrated students’ feelings, physiological reactions, and thoughts. Students with Thriving IMAEs liked math and had positive assessments of themselves in math. Students with Agonizing IMAEs had negative feelings and thoughts about math and experienced negative physiological reactions. Students with Persisting IMAEs had positive and negative feelings and thoughts, but thought that, ultimately, they could persist in math. A higher percentage of women than men held Agonizing IMAEs, and a lower percentage of women than men held Thriving IMAEs. Students in introductory geoscience classes had a range of IMAEs, which may have an important role in their success in class and in their decisions to take additional geoscience classes.

Learning hierarchically organized science categories: simultaneous instruction at the high and subtype levels

BackgroundMost science categories are hierarchically organized, with various high-level divisions comprising numerous subtypes. If we suppose that one’s goal is to teach students to classify at the high level, past research has provided mixed evidence about whether an effective strategy is to require simultaneous classification learning of the subtypes. This past research was limited, however, either because authentic science categories were not tested, or because the procedures did not allow participants to form strong associations between subtype-level and high-level category names. Here we investigate a two-stage response-training procedure in which participants provide both a high-level and subtype-level response on most trials, with feedback provided at both levels. The procedure is tested in experiments in which participants learn to classify large sets of rocks that are representative of those taught in geoscience classes.ResultsThe two-stage procedure yielded high-level classification performance that was as good as the performance of comparison groups who were trained solely at the high level. In addition, the two-stage group achieved far greater knowledge of the hierarchical structure of the categories than did the comparison controls.ConclusionIn settings in which students are tasked with learning high-level names for rock types that are commonly taught in geoscience classes, it is best for students to learn simultaneously at the high and subtype levels (using training techniques similar to the presently investigated one). Beyond providing insights into the nature of category learning and representation, these findings have practical significance for improving science education.

Sketch Worksheets in STEM Classrooms: Two Deployments

Sketching can be a valuable tool for science education, but it is currently underutilized. Sketch worksheets were developed to help change this, by using AI technology to give students immediate feedback and to give instructors assistance in grading. Sketch worksheets use visual representations automatically computed by CogSketch, which are combined with conceptual information from the OpenCyc ontology. Feedback is provided to students by comparing an instructor’s sketch to a student’s sketch, using the Structure-Mapping Engine. This paper describes our experiences in deploying sketch worksheets in two types of classes: Geoscience and AI. Sketch worksheets for introductory geoscience classes were developed by geoscientists at University of Wisconsin-Madison, authored using CogSketch and used in classes at both Wisconsin and Northwestern University. Sketch worksheets were also developed and deployed for a knowledge representation and reasoning course at Northwestern. Our experience indicates that sketch worksheets can provide helpful on-the-spot feedback to students, and significantly improve grading efficiency, to the point where sketching assignments can be more practical to use broadly in STEM education.

Development and Validation of an Assessment Instrument for Course Experience in a General Education Integrated Science Course

ABSTRACT Identifying instruments and surveys to address geoscience education research (GER) questions is among the high-ranked needs in a 2016 survey of the GER community (St. John et al., 2016). The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a student-centered assessment instrument to measure course experience in a general education integrated science course. A one-shot case study of pre-experimental design (Creswell, 2009, 2014) was used to understand student experiences in a large-enrollment course with digital content integration, including out-of-class video, online presentations, and warm-up questions, as well as in-class video paired with discussion and small group activities. In two sections taught by the same geoscientist, 209 students accessed course content in an online learning management system prior to classroom instruction. We adapted the 36-item Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ; Wilson et al., 1997) to a Web-based survey. We conducted statistical analysis on the CEQ responses, including item factor analysis, examination of communalities and measures of association, confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability and stability testing through bootstrap resampling. The statistical analyses indicate that the results in this study are comparable to those from other cultural contexts and subject areas. Given the moderate fit of the model and reasonably stable results, we propose that the core indicators of the CEQ constructs, including Appropriate Workload, Clear Goals and Standards, Generic Skills, Good Teaching, and Emphasis on Independence are sufficient to assess students' course experiences in general education science settings. These results provided moderately to strongly valid information that can help instructors in designing their technology-integrated classes, although further study with a larger sample population would be beneficial. From this study we conclude that students' perceptions of their course experiences are closely related to their development of problem-solving and analytical skills, clear course expectations to direct their own study plans, their preference for a motivating instructor, the opportunity to have a variety of learning choices, and their workload. We propose the use of a 25-item version of the CEQ that is appropriate for formative assessment in discipline-specific STEM introductory classes, including geoscience classes.

A multidimensional assessment of reformed teaching practice in geoscience classrooms

This study analyzed quantitative and qualitative data from classroom observations combined with instructor survey results to characterize the application of reformed teaching practices in undergraduate geoscience classes in the United States. Trained observers used the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) to score 204 geoscience classes. Observed faculty represent a diversity of institutions, teaching rank, and years of experience. Classrooms observed included introductory and upper-level undergraduate courses that ranged in size from 6 to 275 students. Total RTOP scores do not correlate with class size, class level, institution type, instructor gender, instructor rank, or years of teaching experience. Classroom instruction was separated into three categories based on total RTOP scores: Teacher Centered (≤30), Transitional (31–49), or Student Centered (≥50). Statistical analyses of RTOP subscales and individual item scores are used to identify the instructional practices that are characteristic of each category. Instructor survey responses and qualitative classroom observations provide additional details about instructional practices common within each instructional category. Results of these analyses provide a coherent picture of instructional strategies used in geoscience classrooms. Instruction in the most Student Centered classrooms differs from that in Transitional and Teacher Centered classrooms in at least one of three ways. Student Centered classes are more likely to include (1) students engaged in class activities with one another; (2) activities in which instructors assess student learning and adjust lessons accordingly; and (3) opportunities for students to answer and pose questions that determine the focus of a lesson.

Undergraduate Climate Education: Motivations, Strategies, Successes, and Support

ABSTRACT Climate literacy is an essential component of a strategy to comprehend and confront the grand challenge of global climate change. However, scientific complexity, societal implications, and political associations make climate change a difficult but important topic to teach. In this paper we report on the results of a survey of undergraduate faculty members on their teaching practices with respect to climate science and the outcomes of a series of undergraduate faculty workshops focused on climate change topics and intended to support faculty members in teaching these topics. Survey results show that undergraduate faculty members place a high priority on teaching climate science because of its relevance to the students with respect to their community, lives, and potential careers. In addition, the survey indicates that climate concepts are taught in a spectrum of undergraduate classes, ranging from geoscience classes to those in the social sciences that address societal impacts and solutions to the problems created by climate change. Results from the survey and workshops indicate there are multiple successful strategies for teaching climate topics, including focusing on solutions, using local contexts, teaching with scientific data, embracing that controversy is an integral part of teaching about climate change, and employing effective communication strategies that can help address controversy and misconceptions. We suggest that undergraduate faculty members need ongoing support in their efforts to effectively teach climate change topics. The Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network and On the Cutting Edge projects strive to provide that support through workshops and Web portals that provide access to a variety of educational materials.

Evaluating Geoscience Students' Spatial Thinking Skills in a Multi-Institutional Classroom Study

ABSTRACT Spatial thinking skills are critical to success in many subdisciplines of the geosciences. We tested students' spatial skills in geoscience courses at three institutions (a public research university, a comprehensive university, and a liberal arts college, all in the midwest) over a two-year period. We administered standard psychometric tests of spatial skills to students in introductory geology, mineralogy, sedimentology and stratigraphy, hydrogeology, structural geology, and tectonics courses. In addition, in some courses we administered a related spatial skills test with geoscience content. In both introductory and upper level undergraduate geology courses, students' skills vary enormously as measured by several spatial thinking instruments. Additionally, students' spatial skills generally improve only slightly during one academic term, in both introductory and advanced geoscience classes. More unexpectedly, while there was a tendency for high-performing students to be adept at multiple spatial skills, many individual students showed strong performance on tests of one spatial skill (e.g., rotation) but not on others (e.g., penetrative thinking). This result supports the contention that spatial problem solving requires a suite of spatial skills, and no single test is a good predictor of “spatial thinking.”

Teaching All Geoscience Students: Lessons Learned From Two‐Year Colleges

Geoscience faculty at 2‐year colleges (2YCs) are at the forefront of efforts to improve student learning and success while at the same time broadening participation in the geosciences. Faculty of 2YCs instruct large numbers of students from underrepresented minority groups and many students who are the first in their families to pursue higher education. Geoscience classes at 2YCs also typically have large enrollments of nontraditional students, English language learners, and students with learning disabilities.

Geoscience Education in the Boy Scouts of America

ABSTRACTBoy Scout geoscience education is not “desk” education—it is an informal, hands-on, real-world education where Scouts learn through activities, trips, and the outdoors, as well as in meetings and in the merit badge program. Merit badge requirements, many of which meet National Science Education Standards for Earth and Space Science, give boys foundational experiences and familiarity with geoscience topics. Earning a Geology merit badge at any location resulted in a significant gain of content knowledge (P < 0.001). The combined treatment groups for all location types had a 9.2% gain in content knowledge, but the amount of content knowledge acquired through the merit badge program varied with location. The longitudinal posttest scores, with a 15.0% increase from the attributed average pretest score, were higher than the posttest scores from any location except summer camp. No gains were seen in the control group; age and grade were not significant factors. Combining interview data with quantitative data indicates that Scouts who participate in the Geology merit badge are better prepared for school geoscience classes. Participation in the Geology merit badge provides geoscience experiences and “familiarity” with geoscience concepts that allow Scouts to create and retain geoscience knowledge.

Field Geology Education: Historical Perspectives and Modern Approaches

Earth science students are challenged to acquire the depth and breadth of knowledge and skills needed for professional work. How are they being educated to observe; reason spatially and temporally; measure and analyze data with new technologies; assemble fragmented and insufficiently documented data from varied sources, including geophysics, lab analyses, and observations; test hypotheses; compile maps by various methods; and report orally and in writing as part of the development of critical thinking skills? Similarly, how are future middle and high school teachers being trained in the earth sciences to prepare their students to be a scientifically literate populace prepared for work in a modern world? Are field-based geoscience classes adequately preparing students for careers in the geoscience and science education? The 25 papers in this special text reveal the thinking behind geologic pedagogy (i.e., geoscience instruction) through (1) education in field camps, (2) use of modern instruments and technologies in field instruction, (3) student-led original field research, (4) field instruction for primary and secondary school teachers, and (5) assessment of field education methods. Because we have a stake in the training of the next generation of geoscientists, it is important for working professionals and technical societies to monitor and support geoscience education. Faculty are constantly challenged to update curricula and integrate new technologies as part of educating competent scientists. The authors of this special text describe how universities are successfully rising to this challenge by integrating field studies within the entire geoscience curriculum rather than merely having a few weekend field trips and a stand-alone bedrock mapping course. The geoscience educators also describe how the preparation of students …

Volcanology Curricula Development Aided by Online Educational Resource

Using On‐Line Volcano Monitoring Data in College and University Courses: The Volcano Exploration Project: Pu`u `Ō`ō (VEPP); Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii, 26–30 July 2010; Volcanic activity is an excellent hook for engaging college and university students in geoscience classes. An increasing number of Internet‐accessible real‐time and near–real time volcano monitoring data are now available and constitute an important resource for geoscience education; however, relatively few data sets are comprehensive, and many lack background information to aid in interpretation. In response to the need for organized, accessible, and well‐documented volcano education resources, the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), in collaboration with NASA and the University of Hawai`i at Manoa, established the Volcanoes Exploration Project: Pu`u `Ō`ō (VEPP). The VEPP Web site (http://vepp.wr.usgs.gov) is an educational resource that provides access, in near real time, to geodetic, seismic, and geologic data from the active Pu`u `Ō`ō eruptive vent on Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, along with background and context information. A strength of the VEPP site is the common theme of the Pu`u `Ō`ō eruption, which allows the site to be revisited multiple times to demonstrate different principles and integrate many aspects of volcanology.

Peer Instruction and Lecture Tutorials Equally Improve Student Learning in Introductory Geology Classes

Although active learning methodologies have been implemented in geoscience classes successfully, no direct comparison between these different instructional techniques exists to date. For that reason, the purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness in student learning of two active learning methods: peer instruction and lecture tutorials. In particular, this study focuses on a first implementation of these active learning teaching methods in small- to medium -size introductory physical geology classes. Evaluation of their effectiveness was measured through the Geoscience Concept Inventory, which was administered at the beginning (pre-test) and at the end (post-test) of each course. In addition, students were asked to evaluate the contribution of these techniques to their own learning using a Likert like survey. A comparison of pre- and post-test results indicates that both methods provided statistically significant cognitive knowledge and understanding gains. A comparison of the post-test results for both methods reveals no statistical distinction, indicating a similar level of effectiveness for both peer instruction and lecture tutorials. Similarly, the vast majority of students indicated that these teaching techniques were instrumental in helping them learn different geologic concepts. The combined results of this study are consistent with others studies showing an improvement in cognitive knowledge and understanding gains whenever active learning instructional techniques are first implemented in science classes. A detailed analysis of the obtained data revealed that most of the gains were made by students having little prior knowledge of geology relative to those having some prior knowledge of geologic concepts. Given the relatively easy use of these techniques, their proven effectiveness, and the recognition by students of their effectiveness, it is then recommended that a wider implementation of these techniques should be used in introductory geology classes.

Examples for Integrating Venus Magellan Imagery into Geoscience Classes

Spacecraft-collected remotely sensed datasets provide an excellent vehicle for illustrating and conveying geologic principles and scientific reasoning to students. A particularly useful dataset includes synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery from NASA's Magellan mission to Venus. To help illustrate this dataset's usefulness in amplifying geoscience lessons, this paper serves as a virtual field trip guide to three Venusian field areas; each region displays geologic relations that provide ideal settings to address fundamental geologic principles and practice scientific reasoning. The images are available online at no cost through the USGS webpage, map-a-planet. Specific class exercises are limitless and easily integrated into petrology/volcanology, geomorphology, structure, field methods, and introductory courses. Further, Venus' extreme surface conditions (~450° C, ~100 bars surface pressure) add a unique twist in geologic studies and emphasize the universality of fundamental geologic principles.

Doing Time: Apatite Fission Track Analysis in Undergraduate Geoscience Courses

Geologic time is a central concept in Earth science teaching and research, but undergraduate students are seldom involved in doing time: measuring ‘ages’ of rocks or minerals. Integration of apatite fission track (AFT) analysis in geoscience classes is an accessible way to involve students in determining dates for geologic events. AFT analysis is an active-learning, inquiry-based technique in which students can visualize and understand concepts such as radioactive decay and its relationship to geologic ages, and the method and its applications can be a basis for cross-discipline instruction within a physical sciences curriculum. Fission-track analysis exercises can be incorporated into a variety of physical science classes or can be run as a separate workshop on geologic time or tectonics. We present a teaching module for incorporation of AFT analysis into general physical geology or historical geology lecture and/or laboratory. This exercise involves counting fission tracks using images from prepared samples (apatite grains already separated from a rock) with known uranium content. The data collected by students can then be used to demonstrate a variety of concepts, from radioactive decay to time-temperature paths and rates of geologic processes. With this module, undergraduates learn problem-solving techniques and experience a hands-on, quantitative approach to geologic time, rates of geologic processes, and the scientific method in general.

Engaging today's Students in Earth Science 101

It is a sad fact, or perhaps a happy one, that many geoscientists in academia will find themselves in front of a classroom of 100–300 undergraduate nonscience majors, lecturing to them for three hours per week. Whether it is ‘Rocks for Jocks’ or ‘Waves for Babes,’ students often are under the impression that geoscience classes will be the least painful way to fulfill their science credit requirements. The sense of personal anonymity that can accompany large‐enrollment classes often results in a different level of student engagement compared with smaller classes. Thus, if students are physically present at all, instructors often have only their much‐divided attention. How can professors keep 300 students, even the ones in the back of the classroom who are barely visible, awake and engaged?

How Students Think: Implications for Learning in Introductory Geoscience Courses

Non-major students in introductory geoscience classes exhibit a wide range of intellectual development. Approximately half of these students do not have the skills to understand the abstract scientific concepts traditionally discussed in introductory classes. Many geological concepts will remain unlearned without appropriate activities that build on a foundation of concrete examples. The good news is that these same students can improve their logical thinking skills when they participate in challenging in-class collaborative learning exercises with their more intellectually sophisticated peers. While the exercises themselves are important in promoting the development of higher-order thinking skills, the group interaction also appears to be a significant contributor to the improvement of reasoning.

Increasing the Significance of Course Evaluations in Large-Enrollment Geoscience Classes

The goal of this study was to identify student evaluation of teaching (SET) questions that could be biased against large-enrollment geoscience classes. SET questionnaires were collected from twenty geoscience departments; individual questions were examined for potential bias by examining differences in SET responses for classes of differing size and discipline using data from the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences at UNC Charlotte.At UNC Charlotte, lower-level courses receive 6% lower evaluation scores than upper-level courses and overall ratings by students in larger classes were 12% lower than those in classes with fewer than 75 students. Comparisons between instructors teaching different disciplines should be reviewed with discretion. When introductory geography and earth science classes are compared, geography instructors scored 20% higher than earth science instructors (n = 40 sections for geography, n = 38 sections for earth sciences).Student evaluations should also be viewed in the context of the difficulty of the professor. At UNC Charlotte, evaluations are plotted against the mean grade-point average assigned by the professor. These plots are both summative when considered by the Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure (RPT) committee, and formative when used by the instructor to sense how difficult and/or effective he or she is relative to other instructors.

The Benefits of Combining Computer Technology and Traditional Teaching Methods in Large Enrollment Geoscience Classes

The use of computers and the Internet to convey content to students is popular, but the amount of research relating the effectiveness of the technology to learning the information is relatively sparse. Data on exam performances and attitudes toward the use of technology were collected from large enrollment, entry-level Geoscience courses over a span of seven semesters. The data were examined to determine if the use of computers as a presentation tool and the incorporation of the Internet as a means to give students increased exposure to course content (notes) increased exam scores and knowledge of Earth Sciences.Most students (80–86%) found the web-based notes useful. Average exam scores improved by as much as 23% when the Internet was used to get information to the students in combination with computer-driven lectures, in class discussions, and applied information reports. Comprehensive final exam scores improved by an average of 11%, suggesting better preparation for exams, and more retention of course information when compared to a representative non-enhanced class. In enhanced classes, up to 86% of the students passed, compared to only 57% of students in the class taught without the benefit of technology.