Unlocking the Potential of your Introductory Geoscience Course
Conveners
Anne Egger, Central Washington University
Natalie Bursztyn, James Madison University
Angela Daneshmand, Santiago Canyon College
Introductory geoscience courses at the undergraduate level have the potential to be profound experiences in which students are engaged actively in scientific practices and critical thinking, deepen their science literacy, and develop their identities as scientists. How can we unlock that potential? In this workshop, we will share results from our curriculum development project focused on engaging students in the practices of science in a learning environment where all students feel they can contribute. Participants will have the opportunity to explore new curricular materials, engage in discussions about the challenges and opportunities of introductory courses, and develop action plans for making changes to their own courses. We encourage participation from groups of instructors and instructor-teaching assistant pairs from the same institution.
Intended Audience
Our target audience are college educators who teach introductory undergraduate geoscience courses. Participants who will benefit most from the materials presented and time to redesign their courses are those who wish to engage in equity-focused, student-centered teaching, have some experience with active learning practices (even if not yet implemented in their own classrooms), and teach courses with fewer than 200 students. We encourage participation from groups of instructors and instructor‚ teaching assistant pairs from the same institution where multiple instructors are involved in teaching a course.
Goals
By the end of this workshop, participants will:
- Become familiar with inclusive and equitable teaching approaches and their impact on students and instructors;
- Explore curricular materials that make use of inclusive and equitable approaches;
- Connect with others who teach in a similar setting to adapt curricular materials and approaches to that setting;
- Develop an action plan and curriculum outline for implementing new curricular materials and/or strategies in their courses.