Incorporation of basic research and service components in a field environmental geochemistry course

Abstract:

“Application-based service learning” (ABSL) refers to an approach to formal course instruction that integrates service and research components into the course. An ABSL approach was employed in a field-based environmental chemistry course, whose goal was to evaluate and monitor the aqueous geochemistry of coal mine-derived acid mine drainage (AMD) in the Appalachia basin. In this course, students conducted literature reviews on the geochemistry and environmental impacts of AMD, participated in a field sampling campaign of several AMD treatment systems, and conducted chemical analyses of the samples that they retrieved. The remainder of the course was dedicated to “lab meetings,” during which data was analyzed, conclusions were drawn from the data, and a manuscript was drafted that described the findings of the field analyses, and made recommendations regarding the performance of the AMD treatment systems. The service component of the course focused on socioeconomic impacts of coal mining and the Appalachian region, with the final manuscript distributed to AMD treatment practitioners and state regulatory agencies. A comparison of pre- and post-course questionnaires that included Likert scale questions revealed that students’ attitudes toward basic research improved over the period or the course. Based on the questionnaires attitudes toward service diminished, but “open-ended” questionnaires indicated an improved attitude toward both research and service, with an emphasis on the benefits of research that serves the community. Ultimately, we hope to develop approaches to compare the effectiveness of ABSL-based across disciplines.