Melting the Divide

Abstract:

Presenting Quaternary Environmental Change to students who fall into Widening Participation criteria at the University of Cambridge, gives a unique opportunity to present academic debate in an approachable and entertaining way. Literally by discussing the melting of our ice caps, melts the divide Cambridge has between its reputation and the reality for the brightest, underprivileged, students. There is a balance between presenting cutting edge research with the need to come across as accessible (and importantly valuable to “learning”). Climate change over the Quaternary lends itself well to this aim. By lecturing groups of potential students through the entire Quaternary in an hour, stopping to discuss how our ancestors interacted with past Interglacials and what are the mechanisms driving change (in generalized terms), you are able to introduce cutting edge research (such as the latest NEEM ice core) to the students. This shows the evolution and importance of higher education and academic research. The lecture leads well onto group discussions (termed “supervisions” in Cambridge), to explore their opinions on the concern for present Anthropogenic Climate Change in relation to Past Climate Change after being presented with images that our ancestors “made it”. Here discussion thrives off students saying obvious things (or sarcastic comments!) which quickly can lead into a deep technical discussion on their terms. Such discussions give the students a zest for higher education, simply throwing Ruddiman’s (2003) “The Anthroprocene Started Several Thousand Years Ago” at them, questions in a second their concept of Anthropogenic Climate Change. Supervisions lend themselves well to bright, articulate, students and by offering these experiences to students of Widening Participation criteria we quickly melt the divide between the reputation of Cambridge ( and higher education as a whole) and the day to day practice. Higher education is not for the privileged, but a free and open environment for the exchange of ideas. Quaternary Environmental Change lends itself, as an engaging and “fun” subject, well to potential students bridging the divide between ability and circumstance.