Geosciences Of University Research Articles

Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference Abstracts: 74th Annual Conference, October 24–26, 2024

Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference Abstracts: 74th Annual Conference, October 24–26, 2024

Three Horizons for Future Geoscience

Geoscience, along with other scientific disciplines, is being increasingly challenged on how it can best confront key global challenges, such as climate change, food insecurity, biodiversity loss, human conflict and migration, and persistent poverty. But its traditional association with exploitation of the planet’s natural resources for energy and materials links it with contemporary concerns around unsustainable human practices, arguably fueling a growing disenchantment that is most evident in declining enrollment in university geoscience courses in many countries. Therefore, a fresh re-framing of the geoscience’s relationship to society would seem to be urgently needed. In response to this need, we introduce the “Three Horizons” concept for visualizing paradigm change in complex systems as a tool to explore how the future global geoscientific mission might be re-imagined. Using this conceptual framework, we consider three parallel pathways – “business as usual” (horizon 1), “entrepreneurial” (horizon 2) and “visionary” (horizon 3)—that offer alternative narrative trajectories for how geoscience and geoscientists might serve society’s grand challenges.

Perceived Connection to Instructor and Instructor Passion as Predictors of Transformative Experiences in Science

Transformative experience represents a deep-engagement construct and refers to experiences in which students use science content to see and experience the world in meaningful new ways outside the classroom. Such experiences are associated with deep learning (e.g., transfer) and engagement (e.g., academic and career choice) outcomes. However, research on individual factors predictive of transformative experience is limited. The current study investigated university geoscience students’ perceptions of a connection to their instructor(s) and perceptions of their instructors’ passion for the content as predictors of transformative experience. Controlling for students’ initial interest and self-efficacy in the domain, we found both these factors to be predictive of transformative experience. These results suggest science teachers may be able to support engagement in transformative experiences by connecting with students and expressing a passion for the content.

Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference Abstracts: 72nd Annual Conference, October 27–29, 2022

Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference Abstracts: 72nd Annual Conference, October 27–29, 2022

Atlantic Universities Geoscience Abstracts: 71st Annual Conference, November 6 and 7, 2021

Atlantic Universities Geoscience Abstracts: 71st Annual Conference, November 6 and 7, 2021

Geoethics as a common thread that can bind a geoscience department together

Abstract As ethics is a fundamental part of science, so too is geoethics at the centre of geoscience. Many university geoscience departments have not incorporated considerations of ethics or geoethics into their routine operations, strategies for student development, curriculum or research efforts. Starting to emphasize ethics within a departmental community takes an ongoing commitment to learn the vocabulary of ethics, engage in open and continuing conversations with all persons in the department and promote a shared understanding that ethics – geoethics – is an essential part of everything we do as geoscientists. Geoethics can be a common thread that helps to bind a geoscience department together.

Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference Abstracts: 70th Annual Conference 2020

Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference Abstracts: 70th Annual Conference 2020

Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference 2019

Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference 2019

Earth science education: The current state of play

Earth science education: The current state of play

Probing the National Geoscience Faculty Survey for reported use of practices that support inclusive learning environments in undergraduate courses

What is the extent to which college and university geoscience faculty report using education practices that contribute to more inclusive learning environments and engage a diverse population of students? In the 2016 National Geoscience Faculty Survey, faculty answered questions about their practices in a specific introductory or major course they had taught in the previous two years, and about how they share and learn about the content and methods used in their teaching. Based on factor analysis, 22 of the survey questions divided into four categories associated with inclusive teaching practices: geoscientist representations, curricular choices, learning strategies, and career pathways. The self-reported use of practices across these four categories varies greatly, with some used by as many as 71% of faculty respondents whereas others by only 8%. These data provide new information on the current state of teaching practices in the geosciences with regard to inclusive practices, and establish a baseline to which responses from future surveys may be compared. Univariate general modeling combined with ANOVA tests on the responses to the questions shows that education practices differ based on variables such as teaching style, communication with colleagues, years of teaching experience, faculty type, institution type, class size, and course type (introductory or major). These differences suggest opportunities for focused geoscience faculty development around education practices that support the success of a diverse population of undergraduate students and the enhancement of inclusive learning environments in the geosciences.

A internacionalização nas Geociências da USP: comparação entre coberturas da Web of Science e da Scopus no nível micro

O estudo analisou a internacionalização da produção científica individual de pesquisadores do Instituto de Geociências da Universidade de São Paulo (IGc/USP) por meio de indicadores bibliométricos. Trata-se de um estudo de caso, com levantamento de dados e análise bibliométrica, e abordagem exploratória e descritiva. Foi definida uma amostra de 18 pesquisadores, cuja produção foi analisada segundo três categorias de indicadores: produção (nas fontes Dedalus/USP, Web of Science e Scopus), impacto e colaboração (somente nas bases internacionais). Com base nos resultados pôde-se constatar que a maioria dos pesquisadores da amostra aumentaram seu nível de publicação internacional. Além disso, sua produção se mostrou mais representativa na Scopus, quando comparada por meio de indicadores baseados em números absolutos de documentos indexados e citações recebidas. Contudo, ao se considerar indicadores normalizados, a vantagem da Scopus não se pronunciou na mesma magnitude, ainda que tenha sobressaído. Por fim, não se pode ignorar as especificidades das áreas, que se evidenciam nas práticas de comunicação científica, que inclui diversos fatores de escolha dos periódicos científicos, consequentemente implicando na internacionalização.

Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference 2018: 68th Annual Conference, November 1–3, 2018

Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference 2018: 68th Annual Conference, November 1–3, 2018

Detetive paleontológico: o destino dos fósseis de plantas do Geopark Araripe como ferramenta para o ensino das Geociências

The goal of this work is to present a catalogue of fossil plants collected in Geopark Araripe and a educational game based on it. We indicated the macrofossils depositories of that Geopark, aiming to facilitate further Paleobotanic studies and to spread the scientific divulgation of this important paleoflora. We based the catalogue on bibliographic and scientific databases research. We found 140 specimens belonging to 34 clades (taxonomic groups). Most of the plant fossils collected in the mentioned Geopark is deposited at Natural History Museum of Berlin, followed by Institute of Geosciences of University of São Paulo. The catalogue was used to develop a “PERFIL®” style game, intended for elementary students. This game explores concepts of interpretation, logic, biology and Geosciences knowledge from a interdisciplinar perspective. This is achieved using hints to relate the fossil history with the taxon evolution and the museum where the fossil is deposited. Finally, we hope to contribute to divulgation and conservation of the botanical fossil records from that Geopark.

Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference 2017: 67th Annual Conference, October 26-28, 2017

Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference 2017: 67th Annual Conference, October 26-28, 2017

Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference 2016: 66<SUP>th</SUP> Annual Conference, October 27-29, 2016

Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference 2016: 66<SUP>th</SUP> Annual Conference, October 27-29, 2016

Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference 2015: 65th Annual Conference, October 22-24, 2015

Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference 2015: 65th Annual Conference, October 22-24, 2015

Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference 2014: 64th Annual Conference, October 23-25, 2014

Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference 2014: 64th Annual Conference, October 23-25, 2014

Safety and Liability Issues Related to Field Trips and Field Courses

Fieldwork plays an important role in initiating students into the geoscience community of practice, providing learning opportunities not possible through classroom lectures, lab work, or computer exercises alone [Mogk and Goodwin, 2012]. It's no wonder, then, that fieldwork is a mainstay of any well‐balanced university geoscience program, with activities ranging from local field trips to in‐residence field camps at remote sites.

Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference 2011: 62nd Annual Conference, October 18-20, 2012

Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference 2011: 62nd Annual Conference, October 18-20, 2012

Diamonds, the mantle petrologist's best friends

The issue is dedicated to the International School “Diamonds, the mantle petrologist’s best friends” held at Bressanone/Brixen (Italy) on February 21–26, 2011. The school was organized by the Department of Geosciences of University of Padua, the Department of Earth Sciences of University College of London, the European Mineralogical Union (EMU) and the Italian Society of Mineralogy and Petrology (SIMP). The main sponsors were the Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO), the European Geosciences Union (EGU), and the University of Padua. Their economic support allowed us to cover the costs of several international speakers and to greatly reduce the registration fees for the participants. Fig. 1 An 8 carat yellow rounded dodecahedral diamond in kimberlite, recovered from the Dutoitspan mine, Kimberly, South Africa. The photograph was taken by Jeff Harris, Glasgow University, in the DeBeers sorting offices at Harry Oppenheimer House, Kimberly in August 1974. The school was aimed at students and young researchers in diamonds and mantle mineralogy, petrology and geochemistry, as well as at economic geologists who needed an authoritative review of both the basics and the latest advances in diamond science. The invited speakers were some of the eminent scientists in the field ( i.e ., Jeff Harris, Nick Sobolev, Steve Shirey, Mike Walter, …