ED41A:
Shifting Paradigms in Undergraduate Earth and Ocean Sciences Education I


Session ID#: 37469

Session Description:
Colleges and universities are increasingly seeking to create undergraduate STEM learning programs that are grounded in pedagogical practices emerging from STEM education research (NRC, 2015). Many traditional undergraduate science courses consist primarily of lectures, note taking, reading and problem sets, and student mastery is often assessed using standardized tests that emphasize memorization rather than analytical thinking. Compared to more modern pedagogical practices, these traditional teaching techniques are demonstrably less effective in motivating and retaining students, and in fostering skills required for careers in science and engineering (PCAST, 2012). As a result, there is burgeoning interest in curricula and tools that support more inquiry-based approaches, and better prepare students for the STEM workforce.

This session is aimed at eliciting examples of innovative new approaches to undergraduate instruction that can help expand the community’s collective expertise in preparing future earth and ocean science professionals and STEM literate graduates.  Examples include but are not limited to teaching with data and data visualizations, innovative lab and field experiences, strategies for enhancing large lecture classes and introductory courses, and any other novel instructional practices that hold promise for success.  Examples that include evaluation of the efficacy of the approaches are encouraged.

Primary Chair:  Cheryl L Peach, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
Co-chairs:  Randall E Kochevar, Oceans of Data Institute, Education Development Center, Inc., Waltham, MA, United States and Jan Hodder, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
Moderators:  Cheryl L Peach, University of California San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA, United States, Randall E Kochevar, Oceans of Data Institute, Education Development Center, Inc., Waltham, MA, United States and Jan Hodder, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
Student Paper Review Liaison:  Cheryl L Peach, University of California San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA, United States
Index Terms:

0810 Post-secondary education [EDUCATION]
0820 Curriculum and laboratory design [EDUCATION]
0825 Teaching methods [EDUCATION]
0845 Instructional tools [EDUCATION]

Abstracts Submitted to this Session:

The community college cultivation cohort: innovative approaches to engaging community college students in a true research experience (302890)
Stephanie Schroeder, University of Southern California, Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations, Los Angeles, CA, United States
A Yearlong, Skill-Focused, REU Experience for Community College Students (326519)
Marina Halverson, Seattle Central College, Seattle, WA, United States, Ann Murkowski, North Seattle College, Seattle, WA, United States, Fritz Stahr, University of Washington, School of Oceanography, Seattle, WA, United States and Andrea Anderson, Soundview Evaluation and Research, Seattle, WA, United States
Engaging Introductory Undergraduate Students with Online Data Explorations (321575)
Charles Sage Lichtenwalner1, Janice D McDonnell2, Kristin I Hunter-thomson2 and Catherine Halversen3, (1)Rutgers University, Marine and Coastal Sciences, New Brunswick, NJ, United States, (2)Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, United States, (3)University of California Berkeley, Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley, CA, United States

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