Urban runoff presents a crucial challenge in sustainable urban planning, impacting water quality, flood management, and infrastructure resilience. This study aimed to improve geoscience education by integrating practical, data-driven urban runoff analysis through Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) curves and the Rational Method for runoff calculation. We assessed the effectiveness of the geoscience curriculum in developing students' critical analytical skills, focusing on students' ability to interpret IDF curves and evaluate urban runoff implications. The assignment required students to generate IDF curves for a specified area, calculate runoff volumes for 2-year and 100-year storm events using the Rational Method, and evaluate the impact of urban development on hydrological processes.

Employing an Evidence-Based Reasoning (EBR) framework, we analyzed the proficiency of students (n=56) from various undergraduate geoscience and environmental science courses across multiple higher education institutions (HEIs). We examined students' capabilities in establishing premises through data analysis and interpreting evidence to produce claims about urban runoff and flood risks. This approach emphasized the essential role of empirical data in connecting scientific reasoning and knowledge to current environmental challenges.

Initial findings of this mixed-methods study indicate varying proficiency levels among student groups, providing valuable insights into educational strategies educators employ to enhance student engagement with complex environmental data. The research highlights the necessity of incorporating data-driven, real-life problems into geoscience education to develop a better understanding and improve critical thinking skills. We present our initial findings and their pedagogical implications, underscoring the EBR framework's significance in geoscience education. The study contributes to the current discourse on advancing discipline-based education research (DBER) methods and teaching innovations in geoscience education, focusing on environmental sustainability and urban planning.