Pub Date : 2022-09-01DOI: 10.1080/10899995.2022.2110630
L. Hoyer, W. Hastie
Abstract We present a quantitative study of responses to voluntary and anonymous surveys of undergraduate geology students enrolled at an English-medium, research university in South Africa. This research captured student interest in geology, their perceived level of understanding of key geological concepts, and the extent to which in-class and in-field experiences impacts both. The first survey was prior to undergraduate field trips (May 2021) and was followed by the post-field second survey (November 2021). The surveys included Likert-type responses, multiple choice responses, and open-ended qualitative comments from the students. Of the total responses (n = 147), 83% knew “a little” about geology before starting their degree, and most (63%) chose to study geology because of an inherent interest in the earth. Up to 40% of students perceived that practicals helped them to better understand theoretical content, including key geological concepts. Of the five key geological concepts examined, the students felt that plate tectonics, age relationships, and uniformitarianism were “easy” to grasp, but deep time and 3-D perception could only be understood once in their fourth year. Field experiences were perceived to improve students’ conceptual understanding of all five concepts, and this study suggests that field work enhances student interest in geology. However, further interest can be promoted using more in-field exercises and hands-on practicals dealing with real-world geological situations. Overall, the results suggest that in-field and practical abilities in geology remain critical, as they stimulate understanding of key concepts and, if pitched correctly, generate and sustain the interest of geoscience students.
{"title":"Geoscience undergraduate students’ perceptions of how field work and practical skills influence their conceptual understanding and subject interest","authors":"L. Hoyer, W. Hastie","doi":"10.1080/10899995.2022.2110630","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2022.2110630","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract We present a quantitative study of responses to voluntary and anonymous surveys of undergraduate geology students enrolled at an English-medium, research university in South Africa. This research captured student interest in geology, their perceived level of understanding of key geological concepts, and the extent to which in-class and in-field experiences impacts both. The first survey was prior to undergraduate field trips (May 2021) and was followed by the post-field second survey (November 2021). The surveys included Likert-type responses, multiple choice responses, and open-ended qualitative comments from the students. Of the total responses (n = 147), 83% knew “a little” about geology before starting their degree, and most (63%) chose to study geology because of an inherent interest in the earth. Up to 40% of students perceived that practicals helped them to better understand theoretical content, including key geological concepts. Of the five key geological concepts examined, the students felt that plate tectonics, age relationships, and uniformitarianism were “easy” to grasp, but deep time and 3-D perception could only be understood once in their fourth year. Field experiences were perceived to improve students’ conceptual understanding of all five concepts, and this study suggests that field work enhances student interest in geology. However, further interest can be promoted using more in-field exercises and hands-on practicals dealing with real-world geological situations. Overall, the results suggest that in-field and practical abilities in geology remain critical, as they stimulate understanding of key concepts and, if pitched correctly, generate and sustain the interest of geoscience students.","PeriodicalId":35858,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geoscience Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46818696","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-08-31DOI: 10.1080/10899995.2022.2107368
S. Nyarko, H. Petcovic
Abstract Teamwork has been identified as an essential employability skill and learning outcome in the geosciences, especially during fieldwork. Although specific teamwork skills have been identified in prior research, few studies to date have addressed how students develop or use these skills during their educational preparation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, including the geosciences. In this paper, we use a descriptive, qualitative embedded, single-case study to explore how geoscience students develop teamwork skills during a hydrogeology field course in the absence of any explicit instruction about teamwork, using a theoretical lens of input-process-output taxonomy of teamwork skills. We collected data using the Geoscience Teamwork Observation (GTO) protocol and verified findings against focus group discussions held after each week of team observations. We identified that students do use a wide range of teamwork skills in the absence of instruction on teamwork, and these skills changed across different teams and under different contexts during fieldwork. Student teams most frequently used skills of communication, leadership, peer-mentoring and teaching, and coordination. Skills related to goal identification, information synthesis and organizational management were utilized least often. We recommend instructional strategies that explicitly treat teamwork skills as learning outcomes, prior teaching of teamwork as part of fieldwork, and using observations as a strategy for teaching and assessing teamwork during fieldwork. We also provide a shared approach for evaluating teamwork skills to enhance workforce preparation and draw attention to key issues relating to creating effective teamwork outcomes during fieldwork.
{"title":"Do students develop teamwork skills during geoscience fieldwork? A case study of a hydrogeology field course","authors":"S. Nyarko, H. Petcovic","doi":"10.1080/10899995.2022.2107368","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2022.2107368","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Teamwork has been identified as an essential employability skill and learning outcome in the geosciences, especially during fieldwork. Although specific teamwork skills have been identified in prior research, few studies to date have addressed how students develop or use these skills during their educational preparation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, including the geosciences. In this paper, we use a descriptive, qualitative embedded, single-case study to explore how geoscience students develop teamwork skills during a hydrogeology field course in the absence of any explicit instruction about teamwork, using a theoretical lens of input-process-output taxonomy of teamwork skills. We collected data using the Geoscience Teamwork Observation (GTO) protocol and verified findings against focus group discussions held after each week of team observations. We identified that students do use a wide range of teamwork skills in the absence of instruction on teamwork, and these skills changed across different teams and under different contexts during fieldwork. Student teams most frequently used skills of communication, leadership, peer-mentoring and teaching, and coordination. Skills related to goal identification, information synthesis and organizational management were utilized least often. We recommend instructional strategies that explicitly treat teamwork skills as learning outcomes, prior teaching of teamwork as part of fieldwork, and using observations as a strategy for teaching and assessing teamwork during fieldwork. We also provide a shared approach for evaluating teamwork skills to enhance workforce preparation and draw attention to key issues relating to creating effective teamwork outcomes during fieldwork.","PeriodicalId":35858,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geoscience Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48365535","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-08-31DOI: 10.1080/10899995.2022.2115763
K. Hannula
{"title":"Education about climate change","authors":"K. Hannula","doi":"10.1080/10899995.2022.2115763","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2022.2115763","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":35858,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geoscience Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44480218","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-08-29DOI: 10.1080/10899995.2022.2106813
Candice Duncan, Ebony Terrell Shockley, A. Asa-Awuku
Abstract The authors seek to amplify their voices as scholars of color in the presentation of a case study of recent geoscience higher education data in the University System of Maryland. We explore trends in geoscience graduate rates and describe the context with national, state, and local data. This paper also includes position statements and lived experiences from faculty of color who recruit in the geosciences. Three women of color share collective intersectional experiences as STEM majors in undergraduate and graduate programs, public and private institutions, HBCUs and PWIs. The aim is to offer recommendations to enhance the literature on diversity and recruitment in geoscience and advance opportunities for students seeking degrees in the geosciences.
{"title":"Accounts and recommendations for recruitment of under-represented groups in the geoscience STEM discipline","authors":"Candice Duncan, Ebony Terrell Shockley, A. Asa-Awuku","doi":"10.1080/10899995.2022.2106813","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2022.2106813","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The authors seek to amplify their voices as scholars of color in the presentation of a case study of recent geoscience higher education data in the University System of Maryland. We explore trends in geoscience graduate rates and describe the context with national, state, and local data. This paper also includes position statements and lived experiences from faculty of color who recruit in the geosciences. Three women of color share collective intersectional experiences as STEM majors in undergraduate and graduate programs, public and private institutions, HBCUs and PWIs. The aim is to offer recommendations to enhance the literature on diversity and recruitment in geoscience and advance opportunities for students seeking degrees in the geosciences.","PeriodicalId":35858,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geoscience Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42561061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-08-15DOI: 10.1080/10899995.2022.2106090
Kailani Acosta, B. Keisling, G. Winckler
Abstract Past and current institutional cultures have contributed to the overrepresentation of white men in geoscience. Acknowledging and learning from this history is critical to building a forward-looking, innovative, and anti-racist geoscience community. To change institutional culture and address inequities and exclusion, the first step for many institutions is to establish a committee or task force focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. In this manuscript, we reflect on our successes, challenges, and experiences co-chairing the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in 2020. We organized a transparent, community-driven effort that lasted for six months with clear expectations around outcomes. We identified priorities, goals, and recommendations for institutional change, ranging from large-scale structural changes to individual actions. Specifically, we found that (1) considering power dynamics, (2) striking a balance between tone and content, (3) addressing how financial constraints intersect with institutional values, and (4) respecting the power and politics of data were critical to our work. Here we present a roadmap for creating robust and visionary institutional change. In addition, we discuss the obstacles, barriers, and opportunities we encountered through our process, in order to provide strategies that other institutions can use to address their own needs, and to advance justice in geoscience as a whole. Moreover, we discuss how this structure and lessons learned are broadly applicable to academic institutions at various scales and beyond geoscience.
{"title":"Past as prologue: Lessons from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force","authors":"Kailani Acosta, B. Keisling, G. Winckler","doi":"10.1080/10899995.2022.2106090","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2022.2106090","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Past and current institutional cultures have contributed to the overrepresentation of white men in geoscience. Acknowledging and learning from this history is critical to building a forward-looking, innovative, and anti-racist geoscience community. To change institutional culture and address inequities and exclusion, the first step for many institutions is to establish a committee or task force focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. In this manuscript, we reflect on our successes, challenges, and experiences co-chairing the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in 2020. We organized a transparent, community-driven effort that lasted for six months with clear expectations around outcomes. We identified priorities, goals, and recommendations for institutional change, ranging from large-scale structural changes to individual actions. Specifically, we found that (1) considering power dynamics, (2) striking a balance between tone and content, (3) addressing how financial constraints intersect with institutional values, and (4) respecting the power and politics of data were critical to our work. Here we present a roadmap for creating robust and visionary institutional change. In addition, we discuss the obstacles, barriers, and opportunities we encountered through our process, in order to provide strategies that other institutions can use to address their own needs, and to advance justice in geoscience as a whole. Moreover, we discuss how this structure and lessons learned are broadly applicable to academic institutions at various scales and beyond geoscience.","PeriodicalId":35858,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geoscience Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45211447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-13DOI: 10.1080/10899995.2022.2097566
C. J. Rowan, B. Mulvey
Abstract Scaled analog modeling (“sandbox modeling”) allows deformational processes, such as the development of a mountain belt, to be observed in real time in a classroom setting. However, the actual learning gains from exposure to sandbox modeling in geology courses in higher education settings have not been explicitly studied. We begin to investigate the possible effects of incorporating a sandbox modeling activity on geologic understanding in an upper-level tectonics class. The designed activity utilized a cycle-based learning approach, where the 11 participating students predicted outcomes of different deformation experiments and then evaluated and revised their predictions in the light of their experimental observations. Scored predictive sketches and a spatial visualization test administered before and after the sandbox activity demonstrate improvements in geological understanding of deformation, the influence of different mechanical properties on deformation style, and penetrative thinking skill. The observed gains were particularly marked for students who had poorly developed penetrative thinking skills prior to the activity. These results indicate that the use of sandbox models in the classroom may have a measurable effect on penetrative thinking skills and geologic understanding, particularly in students with less expertise. However, further study is required to test if these effects can be reproduced, and shown to be statistically significant, in larger groups of students.
{"title":"An innovative cycle-based learning approach to teaching with analog sandbox models","authors":"C. J. Rowan, B. Mulvey","doi":"10.1080/10899995.2022.2097566","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2022.2097566","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Scaled analog modeling (“sandbox modeling”) allows deformational processes, such as the development of a mountain belt, to be observed in real time in a classroom setting. However, the actual learning gains from exposure to sandbox modeling in geology courses in higher education settings have not been explicitly studied. We begin to investigate the possible effects of incorporating a sandbox modeling activity on geologic understanding in an upper-level tectonics class. The designed activity utilized a cycle-based learning approach, where the 11 participating students predicted outcomes of different deformation experiments and then evaluated and revised their predictions in the light of their experimental observations. Scored predictive sketches and a spatial visualization test administered before and after the sandbox activity demonstrate improvements in geological understanding of deformation, the influence of different mechanical properties on deformation style, and penetrative thinking skill. The observed gains were particularly marked for students who had poorly developed penetrative thinking skills prior to the activity. These results indicate that the use of sandbox models in the classroom may have a measurable effect on penetrative thinking skills and geologic understanding, particularly in students with less expertise. However, further study is required to test if these effects can be reproduced, and shown to be statistically significant, in larger groups of students.","PeriodicalId":35858,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geoscience Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42140015","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-12DOI: 10.1080/10899995.2022.2093543
Ning Wang, Robert J. Stern, L. Waite
Abstract Geographic context is important for Earth Science education but different places have different geological complexities and effectively establishing geoscientific context can be difficult. Well-designed videos can help geoscience educators introduce geologically significant places to undergraduate geoscience students. However, there is no established framework to guide geoscientists who want to create instructional videos for place-based geoscience education. In this commentary, we share a framework including writing a narrative and generating visual materials as well as considering key psychological principles and universal design elements to improve geoscience video effectiveness. The design framework was created based on the place-based education framework, salient elements of cognitive theory of multimedia learning, and the framework of motivational design. More design recommendations were given by summarizing our experience of making and assessing a 6-minute geosicence video about the Permian Basin of W. Texas and SE New Mexico and other best practice of making the same type of videos in peer reviewed articles. We find that well-designed geoscience videos can improve geoscience majors’ knowledge about local geology and understanding of connections between place and people. The generalized video-making workflow and design recommendations can help geoscientists make their own geoscientific videos for undergraduates.
{"title":"Workflow for designing instructional videos to support place-based geoscience education for geoscience majors","authors":"Ning Wang, Robert J. Stern, L. Waite","doi":"10.1080/10899995.2022.2093543","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2022.2093543","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Geographic context is important for Earth Science education but different places have different geological complexities and effectively establishing geoscientific context can be difficult. Well-designed videos can help geoscience educators introduce geologically significant places to undergraduate geoscience students. However, there is no established framework to guide geoscientists who want to create instructional videos for place-based geoscience education. In this commentary, we share a framework including writing a narrative and generating visual materials as well as considering key psychological principles and universal design elements to improve geoscience video effectiveness. The design framework was created based on the place-based education framework, salient elements of cognitive theory of multimedia learning, and the framework of motivational design. More design recommendations were given by summarizing our experience of making and assessing a 6-minute geosicence video about the Permian Basin of W. Texas and SE New Mexico and other best practice of making the same type of videos in peer reviewed articles. We find that well-designed geoscience videos can improve geoscience majors’ knowledge about local geology and understanding of connections between place and people. The generalized video-making workflow and design recommendations can help geoscientists make their own geoscientific videos for undergraduates.","PeriodicalId":35858,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geoscience Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49542700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-06-17DOI: 10.1080/10899995.2022.2081462
R. Teasdale, H. Aird
Abstract In response to geoscience education research and calls for the need to reform STEM teaching in higher education, many geoscience faculty are adopting research-based pedagogies to improve student learning in their courses. Our own effort to reform our introductory geology course included daily student-centered activities and other reforms we expected would result in improved student performance, but did not. This paper describes our evaluation of student performance on multiple choice questions (MCQs), which are the largest component of student grades in the course. Student scores were highest on MCQs that were aligned with the style in which students learned material and that required students to interact with the question (active questions) rather than just regurgitating information (passive questions). We also examined whether the style of MCQs impacted student scores equitably and found that the grades of all students would have improved if we had asked MCQs that were aligned and active, and the improvements were equitable, but final grades remain biased.
{"title":"Aligning multiple choice assessments with active learning instruction: More accurate and equitable ways to measure student learning","authors":"R. Teasdale, H. Aird","doi":"10.1080/10899995.2022.2081462","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2022.2081462","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract In response to geoscience education research and calls for the need to reform STEM teaching in higher education, many geoscience faculty are adopting research-based pedagogies to improve student learning in their courses. Our own effort to reform our introductory geology course included daily student-centered activities and other reforms we expected would result in improved student performance, but did not. This paper describes our evaluation of student performance on multiple choice questions (MCQs), which are the largest component of student grades in the course. Student scores were highest on MCQs that were aligned with the style in which students learned material and that required students to interact with the question (active questions) rather than just regurgitating information (passive questions). We also examined whether the style of MCQs impacted student scores equitably and found that the grades of all students would have improved if we had asked MCQs that were aligned and active, and the improvements were equitable, but final grades remain biased.","PeriodicalId":35858,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geoscience Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46519627","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-06-01DOI: 10.1080/10899995.2022.2082744
K. Hannula
{"title":"Broadening participation and high-impact practices","authors":"K. Hannula","doi":"10.1080/10899995.2022.2082744","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2022.2082744","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":35858,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geoscience Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48247094","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-05-25DOI: 10.1080/10899995.2022.2076201
Annie Klyce, K. Ryker
Abstract Calls have been made to determine optimal learning progressions for geology students so that best practices for teaching content knowledge and skills during an undergraduate degree can be determined. To address these calls, there first needs to be understanding of what courses are required. This study was conducted to provide a systematic evaluation of courses currently required to earn a bachelor of science degree in the field of geology. Once qualifying programs were determined using the American Geoscience Institute’s Directory of Geoscience Departments, an inductive content analysis was used to determine categories representative of the most commonly required geology courses. Testing with an expert panel showed this binning system and codebook to have an interrater reliability (Fleiss’ kappa) of 0.908, demonstrating that they can be applied reliably in future research to assess longitudinal changes in course requirements. The seven most commonly required courses include structure, sedimentology/stratigraphy, introductory courses, general field methods courses, introductory level historical geology courses, mineralogy and petrology. On average, 12.69 geology courses are required for a B.S. degree. A longitudinal comparison is also made here to highlight changes since Drummond and Markin’s (2008) review, which include an increase in the frequency at which introductory, upper level seminar, research based and general field methods courses are required. The results presented provide a snapshot of the current state of the field, and allow for comparisons with content knowledge deemed a priority by the Future of Undergraduate Geoscience Education Report.
{"title":"What does a degree in geology actually mean? A systematic evaluation of courses required to earn a bachelor of science in geology in the United States","authors":"Annie Klyce, K. Ryker","doi":"10.1080/10899995.2022.2076201","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2022.2076201","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Calls have been made to determine optimal learning progressions for geology students so that best practices for teaching content knowledge and skills during an undergraduate degree can be determined. To address these calls, there first needs to be understanding of what courses are required. This study was conducted to provide a systematic evaluation of courses currently required to earn a bachelor of science degree in the field of geology. Once qualifying programs were determined using the American Geoscience Institute’s Directory of Geoscience Departments, an inductive content analysis was used to determine categories representative of the most commonly required geology courses. Testing with an expert panel showed this binning system and codebook to have an interrater reliability (Fleiss’ kappa) of 0.908, demonstrating that they can be applied reliably in future research to assess longitudinal changes in course requirements. The seven most commonly required courses include structure, sedimentology/stratigraphy, introductory courses, general field methods courses, introductory level historical geology courses, mineralogy and petrology. On average, 12.69 geology courses are required for a B.S. degree. A longitudinal comparison is also made here to highlight changes since Drummond and Markin’s (2008) review, which include an increase in the frequency at which introductory, upper level seminar, research based and general field methods courses are required. The results presented provide a snapshot of the current state of the field, and allow for comparisons with content knowledge deemed a priority by the Future of Undergraduate Geoscience Education Report.","PeriodicalId":35858,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geoscience Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-05-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42341862","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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