Improving Food-Energy-Water-Nexus-based Education: Defining new research directions from problems of practice
Leaders
Hannah Scherer, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univ
Doug Lombardi, University of Maryland-College Park
Shondricka Burrell, Morgan State University
The Food-Energy-Water (FEW)-Nexus framework helps describe and address natural resource challenges in complex coupled human-natural systems. As this framework gains traction in informal, non-formal, K-12, and higher education spaces, educators see the potential of the FEW-Nexus to prompt systems thinking and interdisciplinary problem-solving. This workshop will bring together educators who are (or would like to be) engaged in FEW-Nexus-based education with geoscience education researchers to share expertise and define new priority areas for education research in support of FEW-Nexus-based education. Participants will gain new insights into FEW-Nexus-based education to inform their own education or research practice, with opportunities for continued engagement with the National Collaborative for Research on Food, Energy, and Water Education (NC-FEW; https://serc.carleton.edu/nc-few) beyond the workshop.
Goals
The objectives for this workshop are to collaboratively: 1) define FEW-Nexus-based education, 2) identify and describe challenges with FEW-Nexus-based education, and 3) ideate ways in which geoscience education research can generate new knowledge to address these challenges.
Resources
- NC-FEW Workshop_EER Slide Deck.pptx (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 1.5MB Jul15 24)
- STEM Teaching Tools Practice Brief 96:Understanding how food, energy, and water decisions affect the thriving of local, regional, and global systems
- An NC-FEW community vision for FEW-Nexus-based education
- Romulo, C., B. Venkataraman, S. Caplow, S. Ajgaonkar, C.R. Allen, A. Anandhi, S.W. Anderson, C.B. Azzarello, K. Brundiers, E. Blavascunas, J. Dauer, D.L. Druckenbrod, E. Fairchild, L.R. Horne, K. Lee, M. Mwale, J.A. Mischler, E.E. Pappo, N.S. Patel, N.D. Sintov, C.S. Ramsdell, and S. Vincent. (2024). PREPRINT: Implementing Interdisciplinary Sustainability Education With the Food-Energy-Water Nexus. figshare. Preprint. DOI: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.25710114.v1
Program
1:30 Introduction
Welcome, introductions, meet your neighbors, agenda and objectives
1:40 Part 1: Defining FEW-Nexus Based Education
- What is the FEW-Nexus? Why is teaching at the FEW-Nexus important? Introductory framing of this as a problem space by facilitators. (10 minutes, to 1:50)
- Table group discussion: What does FEW-Nexus-based education mean to you? (20 minutes, to 2:10)
- What does/could FEW-Nexus education look like in your context?
- How does the FEW-Nexus connect to what/how you already teach?
- What affordances does the FEW-Nexus provide in your educational context?
- Share out from table discussions, then large group discussion on what it means (10 minutes, to 2:20)
- Facilitators share ideas from NC-FEW project vision document + STEM Teaching Tool (5 minutes, to 2:25)
BREAK
2:30 Part 2: Challenges Gallery Walk
- Whole Group Ideation: challenges faced by educators in teaching about food, energy, and/or water-related topics and integrating FEW-Nexus concepts in their endeavors, and put each challenge on chart paper around the room. (7 minutes, to 2:37)
- Individual Gallery Walk: visit the posters, and add questions/comments to further refine the challenges (8 minutes, to 2: 45)
- Small Group Brainstorming: revisit posters and add ideas for how to address challenges through research or practice and resources needed (15 minutes, to 3:00)
- Ranking: individuals vote (with stickers or star with markers) for the top 2 challenges you think education researchers should address to assist educators in integrating FEW-Nexus-based education in their work. Add ideas about how/why. (5 minutes, to 3:05)
3:05 Part 3: Idea Sharing
- Sharing of ideas from the NC-FEW project regarding what strategies would help in overcoming the challenges (15 minutes, to 3:20)
- Data Talks as a potential resource and tool for helping with FEW instruction and making FEW instruction relevant to local contexts and situations.
- Other ideas from participants (10 minutes, to 3:30)
3:30 Closure and Next Steps
- What is NC-FEW? Overview of what we do, Working Groups, ways to plug in
- NC-FEW is evolving; what are your ideas for how you want to continue in this work?
- Q&A
- Evaluation
