Using Student Feedback to Inform Inclusive Pedagogical Design in an Undergraduate Earth Materials Course
Tuesday
1:30pm-4:00pm
Poster Session Part of
Tuesday Poster Session
Author
Eric Palma, California State University-Long Beach
Students entering undergraduate geoscience programs often bring diverse academic backgrounds, personal experiences, and expectations that shape how they engage with coursework and with each other. To better understand these dynamics within the Earth Science Department at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), we conducted a short anonymous pilot survey examining student perceptions of diversity, belonging, academic satisfaction, and other factors influencing success within the program.
Preliminary responses from this small pilot sample indicated strong support for continued investigation of student experiences in the department, with most respondents agreeing that research on diversity, inclusion, and student satisfaction is valuable for improving the program. Students most frequently identified socioeconomic background and prior academic preparation as factors that may influence success in Earth science coursework. Responses related to feelings of belonging were more mixed, suggesting that while many students are satisfied with their choice to study Earth science, not all students feel equally integrated into the departmental community.
Guided by these initial findings, we designed a collaborative classroom activity called the Group Bubble and Think Tank exercise for an undergraduate Earth Materials course. The activity combines collective knowledge mapping, peer discussion, and reflective prompts intended to help students articulate prior knowledge, share learning interests, and align student and instructor expectations. While originally developed to support transitions between instructors in a multi-instructor course, the activity may also serve as a broader student-centered reflection tool for strengthening communication, metacognition, and inclusive learning environments in geoscience classrooms. These preliminary findings suggest that student feedback can inform the design of classroom interventions that support communication, reflection, and inclusive learning environments in undergraduate geoscience education.
Preliminary responses from this small pilot sample indicated strong support for continued investigation of student experiences in the department, with most respondents agreeing that research on diversity, inclusion, and student satisfaction is valuable for improving the program. Students most frequently identified socioeconomic background and prior academic preparation as factors that may influence success in Earth science coursework. Responses related to feelings of belonging were more mixed, suggesting that while many students are satisfied with their choice to study Earth science, not all students feel equally integrated into the departmental community.
Guided by these initial findings, we designed a collaborative classroom activity called the Group Bubble and Think Tank exercise for an undergraduate Earth Materials course. The activity combines collective knowledge mapping, peer discussion, and reflective prompts intended to help students articulate prior knowledge, share learning interests, and align student and instructor expectations. While originally developed to support transitions between instructors in a multi-instructor course, the activity may also serve as a broader student-centered reflection tool for strengthening communication, metacognition, and inclusive learning environments in geoscience classrooms. These preliminary findings suggest that student feedback can inform the design of classroom interventions that support communication, reflection, and inclusive learning environments in undergraduate geoscience education.