Remediating Quantitative Problem-Solving in Upper-Level Geoscience courses

Round Table Discussion

Leader

Kyle Fredrick, Pennsylvania Western University - California

Undergraduate Geology courses beyond the introductory level often depend upon quantitative concepts with which students are unfamiliar or at least uncomfortable. The success or failure of a lecture, activity, or entire course may hinge on the preparation of the students, even if they have demonstrably satisfied the course prerequisites.  Faculty have had varying degrees of success incorporating remedial math and physics concepts into courses, but often at a cost to the content they set out to teach.  This roundtable discussion will invite instructors from across the undergraduate and high-school spectrum to share their frustrations, ideas, and success stories.    Goals:  Identify the critical quantitative concepts and skills geology students must master before graduation.  Determine modes of learning (independent, in-class, project-based, etc.) best-suited to address those critical concepts  Create a personalized plan for remediating at least one critical concept in an upper-division course  Participants should expect to come away with...  (1) methods for measuring students' readiness for content-related quantitative problem-solving;  (2) specific examples of active learning strategies that highlight quantitative applications and reasoning;  (3) out-of-class, student-centered methods for improving quantitative problem-solving;  and (4) a network of like-minded teachers to share ideas and results into the future.