This presentation will discuss the benefits, challenges, and student responses to a pilot attempt to replace significant portions of the existing coursework with InTeGrate modules in one section of a large lecture (>60-seat) physical geology course taught at the University of West Georgia. This effort is part of a broad, multi-institution study evaluating the effectiveness of incorporating InTeGrate activities and materials on increasing the scientific literacy, engagement level, and awareness of the social and economic relevance of geoscience-based issues for students in introductory courses. As many of these students are non-STEM majors, introductory geoscience courses represent a critical opportunity to help students understand the mechanisms and processes that are part of scientific investigations, the data that drive scientific interpretations, and the relevance of earth-science literacy to their daily lives. Through the use of hands-on small-group activities, focused readings, and a student-centered flipped-classroom model, students explore hazards and risks associated with plate boundaries, evaluate the risks of coastal storms, and relate the geologic properties of mineral resources to the social and economic impacts of their exploitation.

As part of this presentation, the structure and learning objectives of the original physical geology course will be compared to the adjusted course in which nearly half of the course content has been replaced by InTeGrate modules. Preliminary student data and student feedback from the pilot semester will be shared, with a focus on the challenges and opportunities specific to incorporating this approach in large lecture classrooms. Attendees should come away with strategies for implementing InTeGrate content into their own geoscience courses, regardless of size.