The principle means of meeting the overall EOS-SEI project objectives will be to work on individual courses, within the context of associated pre- co- and post-requisites. The project will target courses based upon several criteria including: (i) number of students in the course, (ii) range of student types (EOS, science, non-science), (iii) faculty involved in the course (aiming to have all EOS faculty involved at least once during the 5-yr life of the project), (iv) balanced coverage of disciplines within the department. The general principles guiding the process are described at the bottom of this page.
| Course | Learning goals | New Assessments | Improved Methods |
|---|---|---|---|
| EOSC 111: Laboratory Exploration of Planet Earth (Sept ’07 start) Faculty: S. Harris STLF: Brett Gilley Transformation completed in Fall '08 w/ ongoing updates to pre-post assessment, lab activities, and quizzes. |
Course-level goals: complete Lab-level goals: complete |
Individual and group quizzes 3rd draft of Pre/Post assessment complete for all topics Post-lab surveys for each lab End-of-term survey |
Invention activities (Introduction, Plankton & Marine Ecosystems) Student-derived methods (Earthquakes, Groundwater, Dinosaurs, Waves, Estuaries) Contrasting cases (Sediments & Sedimentary Rocks) |
| EOSC 112: The Fluid Earth: Atmosphere and Ocean (Jan ’08 start) Faculty: R. Francois, S. Harris, W. Hsieh STLF: Erin Lane  Poster: Climate Science/Oceanography Misconceptions |
Course-level goals: complete Lecture-level goals: complete |
Midterm & end-of-term surveys
Online quizzes Validated pre-post survey Student engagement observations Student workloads questions |
Widespread use of thought-provoking clicker questions
Relevance slide added to each lecture, relevance added throughout class. |
| EOSC 114: The Catastrophic Earth: Natural Disasters (Sept ’07 start) Faculty: R. Stull, E. Eberhardt, M.L. Bevier, S. Sutherland, J. Finnis, G. Andrews STLF: Francis Jones Transformation completed in Spring '10. New in 2010: Introduction of group exams, overseen by Brett Gilley and Roland Stull Poster: Using student feedback surveys in EOSC 114 click here to view course materials.
|
Course-level goals: complete Lecture-level goals for all lectures: complete |
Midterm & end-of-term surveys
Pre-course diagnostic on basic skills Online homework based on text readings introduced Fall 2008. Attitudes survey |
Vista Course Management System and a custom website used extensively for content delivery, quizzing, surveying, logistics. Use of thought-provoking clicker questions in all lectures Pre-post question “wrappers” around video clips to focus and assess student learning from videos Custom text introduced Off-schedule pre-exam review/question sessions Fall ’09: Preliminary experiment with PeerWise in one section. Not continued beyond Fall '09. Multiple sequential instructors with one lead instructor and administrative support. |
| EOSC 210: Earth Science for Engineers (Jan ’08 start) Faculty: E. Eberhardt, U. Mayer, S. Sutherland STLF: Brett Gilley Transformation completed in Dec ’09 with some ongoing support. Poster: Introduction to Earth Science for Engineers click here to view course materials.
|
Course-level goals: complete Lecture-level goals: complete Goals for all labs: complete |
End-of-term survey Mineral exam Peerwise |
Use of PeerWise http://peerwise.cs.auckland.ac.nz/ for student generation of questions
Widespread use of clicker questions (4-8 in each 1.5 hour lecture), focus attention, test understanding, and drive discussion Small group or pair discussions in most classes Many case studies relevant to lectures Labs redesigned with new activities linked to learning goals |
| EOSC 211: Computer Methods in Earth, Ocean & Atmosph. Sciences (Jan ’09 start) Faculty: R. Pawlowicz, C. Johnson STLF: Josh Caulkins Poster: Transformations and results |
Course-level goals: complete Lecture-level goals: complete Learning goals for Labs/Assignments: draft |
Pre-post assessment: Administered in Teach 1 and edited for Teach 2, can be used “as is” for all future terms Midterm and end-of-term surveys New types of exam questions based on computer science concepts |
In-class worksheets for every lecture Pair-programming used in all labs and assignments. Name-sticks used to call on students during lectures and in-class discussions Post-lecture Interviews Lab interviews |
| EOSC 212: Topics in the Earth & Planetary Sciences (Jan ’08 start) Faculty: M. Jellinek, M. Bostock STLF: Francis Jones Final transformation term was Fall’09, but further refinements of generic science thinking activities and assessments were carried out in Fall 2010, primarily by the instructor (M. Jellinek), with minor input and support from F. Jones. Poster: Promoting and measuring scientific thinking click here to view course materials. |
Course-level goals: complete Focus is on science thinking skills rather than content |
End-of-term survey for project evaluation Quizzes on readings for both individual and teams, using Team Based Learning strategies. Two projects (presentation and poster), including feedback at multiple stages of delivery. Pre-post test related to model-based reasoning Peer assessment of some homework and both projects Regular graded abstract writing and question-posing assignments Student participation in rubric design for reading, writing and questioning |
Vista Course Management System used extensively for content delivery, quizzing, surveying, logistics. Team Based Learning elements: permanent teams, individual/team quiz protocols & in-class team activities. Content from Scientific American and other articles and lectures Three modules chosen to highlight Departmental research strengths Guest speakers for each module Instruction and practice at developing science article reading, questioning & discussing skills Project topics are student-determined. Question posing, abstract writing and model based reasoning rubrics are used. In Fall 2010, the question posing aspect was more closely guided so students know whether to ask content or discussion oriented questions. Capstone week introduced to revisit core skills and learning goals. Two instructors with roughly half the classes attended by both |
| EOSC 220: Introductory Mineralogy (Jan ’08 start) Faculty: M.L. Bevier STLF: Josh Caulkins |
Course-level goals: complete Lecture-level goals: complete |
Midterm and end-of-term surveys
Lab quizzes |
In-class activities and discussions are part of each lecture 3x5 cards used for student responses and feedback Labs reworked and provided more structure to students and TAs Students create their own reference “mineral book” that can be used later for studying |
| EOSC 221: Introductory Petrology (Sept ’07 start) Faculty: M. Kopylova STLF: Brett Gilley Transformation completed in April ’09. click here to view course materials. |
Course-level goals: complete Lecture-level goals: complete Lab goals: complete |
Pre/post assessment | Labs rewritten - more structure activities linked to goals
Small group lecture activities in each lecture 3x5 cards for ongoing assessment of students and the course Many smaller quizzes after each module Improved course framework (spaced lectures that do more to highlight differences rather than massed lectures, covering all of one rock type). |
| EOSC 222: Geological Time (Sept ’11 start) Faculty: P. Smith STLF: Francis Jones 2nd year foundational course for geosciences majors. First transformation teaching term Spring 2011. |
Course-level goals: first draft complete
Module-level (and lab) goals: under development |
Weekly lab exercises Midterm End of term lab exam Final exam Observations during first term will be used to identify opportunities for both smaller scale in-class assessments, and self-test quizzing. |
Half of the content is being re-worked by P. Smith. Four of ten labs are being re-worked with the assistance from an experienced teaching assistant. Complete lecture observations (student engagement plus in-class opportunities) will be conducted in Spring 2011. We will be aiming for closer coupling between lab exercises and classroom learning. |
| EOSC 252: Intro. to Experimental Geophysics (Sept ’09 start) Faculty: F. Herrmann First teaching term Jan 2010. click here to view course materials.
|
Course-level goals: agreed upon Lecture-level goals: first versions |
Weekly lab or homework exercises supported by TAs One midterm One final exam In-class demonstrations assessed for “participation” The beginnings of regular on-line self-test quizzing based on assigned readings. More to come the time the course is taught. Extensive end of term survey about initiatives and preferences. |
Enhanced context for all material by: 1. Reworking four Lab exercises 2. Re-compiling all lab exercises into a consistent format, which recognizes progression of learning from one exercise to the next. 3. Dropping two in favor of a new “capstone exercise” (a context rich exercise using new forms of data (borehole well logs) and lab results from earlier work). 4. Projects involving student-chosen topics, and 3-stage deliverables with TA and peer feedback. 5. Guided demonstrations introduced to four class lectures, including pre-demonstration “prediction” worksheets. |
| EOSC 321: Igneous Petrology (Jan '10 start) Faculty: M. Kopylova STLF: Brett Gilley Transformation completed in Dec '11. |
Course-level goals: complete Lecture-level goals: complete |
End-of-term survey '09 & '10 Focus groups Mineral quizzes, exams, group project |
Student focus group Development of several new labs "Wake up" activities in each lecture Distributed mineral quizzes (as opposed to one quiz in week 1). Improved exam creation and marking/grading scheme. Exam questions tied to learning goals. Tectonic setting group project with group contract, in presentations of project students required to incorporate the data presented by the other students and come to their own conclusions. |
| EOSC 322: Metamorphic Petrology (Sept ’08 start) Faculty: G. Dipple STLF: Erin Lane Poster: Do You See What I See Pre/Post Assessment |
Course level goals: complete Topic-level goals: complete |
Midterm survey
Pre-reading quizzes |
Rock sample and relevance in lectures
Just-in-Time-Teaching (pre-readings and online quizzes given prior to module). |
| EOSC 326: Earth and Life Through Time (Jan '10 start) Faculty: S. Sutherland STLF: Francis Jones Second transformation teaching term - Sept '10 |
Course-level goals: complete Module-level goals: complete (14 modules) with minor revisions in progress |
Pre-requisite self-test, plus corresponding catch up material Weekly online exercises based on assigned readings from text and elsewhere. Regular use of clickers in class Weekly "Active Friday" worksheets (see "Improved Methods") Midterm and final exams plus a comprehensive end-of-term survey |
New text to help remove low level content from class Clicker questions are improving as experience is gained. Weekly homework based on assigned readings helps keep students on task. Students do these once for grades, then they are re-opened for practice before exams. Weekly "Active Friday" allows 1/3 of all classes to be 100% peer instruction, active learning. Work is guided, and instructor plus 2 teaching assistants circulate during work. Two hands-on lab exercises substitute for 2 weeks of lectures. Deliverables are completed during class in groups. |
| EOSC 329: Groundwater Hydrology (Jan '10 start) Faculty: R. Beckie STLF: Francis Jones (current), Josh Caulkins |
Course-level goals: complete Module-level goals: draft, need distributing among modules. Learning goals for Labs - some complete, others need refining. |
Pre-post assessment Clicker questions introduced into nearly all lectures – still a work in progress. Weekly labs are taught & marked by TAs. Some lab materials were moved to Vista to improve efficiency and feedback. Weekly TA meetings with the instructor help ensure consistency in all four lab sections. Midterm and final exams plus a comprehensive end-of-term survey. |
Lab questions have been edited and expectations made more explicit. Classroom observations and post-lecture interviews Lab exercises were substantially refined and aligned with learning goals. TAs have well developed guidance for instructing and running labs. Introduced three case studies to correspond with lab work. Some small group work during lectures. Clickers added to all lectures to help leverage Socratic teaching to advantage all students. |
| EOSC 331: Introduction to Mineral Deposits (Jan '10 start) Faculty: J. Scoates, K. Hickey STLF: Brett Gilley |
Course-level goals: complete Lecture-level goals: complete Lab-level goals: complete |
End-of-term survey Sketches in first and last labs Smaller quizzes replace midterms. |
New course frameworks developed. Reduced length of midterms, inserted framework activity after each quiz. Activities in many lectures Rewrote all labs, labs now have "checkpoints" and are handed in at the end of lab. How does a geologist sketch activity Poster session activity - successful model Poster Rubric Summative "deposits in space and time" activity Improved final exam format |
| EOSC 332: Tectonic Evolution of North America (Sept ’08 start) Faculty: J. Mortensen STLF: Brett Gilley click here to view course materials. |
Course-level goals: draft
Module-level goals: draft |
Pre/Post Assessment rewritten for Jan 2010 (validated with former students) Midterm survey Peer Review Essay assignment End-of-term survey |
Activities and discussions planned for some lectures. Just-in-Time-Teaching (pre-readings and online quizzes given prior to each module). |
| EOSC 355: The Planets (Sept ’08 start) Faculty: C. Johnson STLF: Francis Jones New course, taught 1st time in Spring 2009. Second teaching term Spring '10 Fall 2010: incorporation of a second instructor is being supported and observed by STLF. This is being done as a “transfer” and sustainability experiment. Poster: Continuing development of in-class activities in an upper level science elective |
Course-level goals: complete Module-level goals: finalized for Spring 2010 term. |
Pre-course skills diagnostic and “attitudes toward planetary sciences” Midterm survey for improving course delivery and focus Frequent in-class quizzes Clickers, major capstone homework exercises for each of 3 modules, in-class team-based worksheets used to set up or practices lecture content and skills. Major project, including 3-stage deliverables, and peer assessment. |
Vista Course Management System used for content delivery, quizzing, surveying, logistics. Use of permanent teams for quizzes and in-class worksheet-based activities Clickers used for pre-lecture prediction and mid-lecture discussions. Online and in-class quizzes, especially to ensure accountability and assess comprehension of basic content, thus permitting higher level in-class activities & lectures. No final exam Major poster presentation projects are a primary source of grades. |
| EOSC 372: Introductory Oceanography: Circulation and Plankton (Jan '09 start) Faculty: S. Allen, K. Orians, M. Maldonado, E. Lane STLF: Erin Lane |
Course-level goals: complete Lecture-level goals: complete Assignment learning goals: complete |
Mid-term survey End-of-term survey Daily online quizzes Pre-requisite knowledge diagnostic quiz Draft post test Student workloads questions |
Widespread use of thought-provoking clicker questions Daily assignments with online quizzes In class demonstrations and analogies developed |
| EOSC 373: Introductory Oceanography: Climate and Ecosystems (Sept ’09 start) Faculty: M. Maldonado, S. Allen, R. Francois, E. Lane STLF: Erin Lane |
Course-level goals: complete Lecture-level goals: complete |
Mid-term survey Draft diagnostic test Daily online quizzes |
Widespread use of thought-provoking clicker questions Daily assignments with online quizzes |
| EOSC 472: Introduction to Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry (Sep ’09 start) Faculty: K. Orians |
Course-level goals: complete, editing for new content Lecture-level goals: draft, editing for new content |
Midterm and end-of-term surveys
Reading quizzes introduced Reworked homework setsTerm papers enhanced to be a “critical review paper” which includes greater depth of comprehension |
Weekly worksheet activities Anonymous peer-reviewed writing assignment with instructor feedback Post-lecture student interviews Investigating new textbook options, perhaps introducing a packet of articles name sticks used during lectures |
| The following courses have undergone improvement without specific STLF help, or with ad-hoc support EOSC 110: Using the Geoscience Concept Inventory to measure student learning - Faculty: M. Bevier EOSC 116: Faculty: S. Sutherland ATSC 201: Just-in-Time Teaching and clickers - Faculty: R. Stull EOSC 223: Pre-post assessments and in-field assessments - Faculty: M. Bevier, STLF: J. Caulkins EOSC 315: Clickers - Faculty: M. Lipsen EOSC 324: No longer offered - Faculty M. Bevier EOSC 328: GPS tracking of students, in-field assessments - Faculty: K. Hickey, STLF: J. Caulkins EOSC 340: Just-in-Time Teaching and clickers - Faculty: S. Harris & P. Austin EOSC 350: Team Based Learning - Faculty: D. Oldenburg ENVR 200 & 300: Team projects, studying metacognition - Faculty: K. Chan, S. Harris, T. Ivanochko, M. Johnson, D. Steyn |
|||
Sara Harris's poster presentation: Engaging non-science students in large classes at the December 2008 American Geophysical Union conference in San Francisco on changes in EOSC 310 - The Earth and the Solar System.Francis Jones' poster presentation: Improving Metacognitive Skills of 2nd year Environmental Science Students: What to Measure? at the Nov. 2008 workshop on the Role of Metacognition in Teaching Geoscience at Carleton College.For each targeted course, instructors will collaborate with instructional designers, IT specialists, the EOS-SEI project committee, and CWSEI (the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative) to achieve the following goals.
