InTeGrate Modules and Courses >Map your Hazards! > Instructor Stories > Pamela McMullin-Messier
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These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The materials are free and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
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Initial Publication Date: October 20, 2014

Pamela McMullin-Messier: Using Map Your Hazards! in Social Ecology at Central Washington University

About this Course

An upper division sociology course.

25
students

Ten 50-minute lecture
sessions; flipped classroom approach, materials posted online
Public 4-year master's level institution

Syllabus (Microsoft Word 149kB Dec22 13)

A Success Story in Building Student Engagement

You do not need to be a geoscientist to teach this module. Prior to creating the module, I had been thinking about ways to encourage students to engage more deeply with the course materials and take an active role in connecting it to their own lives, or examine what they could do to apply what they learn to their social worlds, beyond writing a research paper. The Map your Hazards! Module represents a transition in moving toward a more interactive and applied learning experience that motivates students to contemplate what they can do to change their communities, culture, and larger society.

Students were engaged throughout the module; they responded well to the mapping exercise, as it got them to think about how to visually apply their knowledge of hazards to their local community. They also enjoyed presenting their survey findings on risk and vulnerability about potential local stakeholders. Students expressed empowerment in wanting to make a difference in educating their social networks in how to become more knowledgeable about hazards and be better prepared for disasters after completing the module.

This module provided students with the ability to immerse themselves in a subject that is important but lacks visibility except in the face of a disastrous situation; this helped them frame the module experience as positive. The module also demonstrated to students the importance of integrating social science and geoscience in order to scrutinize the possibilities on how to build more resilient communities.

My Experience Teaching with InTeGrate Materials

All materials were used (natural hazards had not been covered prior to the start of the module), and I attempted to follow the module exactly as intended. Instead of inviting stakeholders to attend the final group presentations, I invited an expert from our local Red Cross to make a presentation on the organization's mitigating role in the community and share her experiences in responding to disasters.

Relationship of InTeGrate Materials to My Course

All of the materials were used as an "end of quarter" research project that was worth 1/5 of their overall grade. Materials were posted in advance, but students needed guidance before working in groups on the assignments. Students also met outside of class to complete the module. We had covered environmental justice prior to the start of the module, as the focus of the course examines the intersection of social inequality with impacts on the environment. Students responded very well to the mapping exercise, as they learned about the natural hazards that surround them in their community. They were very capable in connecting the systemic relationship between hazards and social vulnerabilities, since our class had addressed those issues previously. Students also responded well to examining the survey results in Unit 2, in assessing knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes and trying to make predictions about relationships between these variables. In Unit 3, we had a guest speaker from Red Cross discuss experiences with disaster mitigation. This aided students in examining social vulnerability and motivated them to think differently about the impact of their projects and final presentations to potential stakeholders.

Assessments

All assessments were used for the various units and parts, and the points earned went toward their overall group project grade. Students found the rubrics helpful in guiding what they needed to pay attention and expectations for what they were to complete. The feedback for Units 1 and 2 helped them create their presentations. Students were also assessed according to their level of contribution and participation within their groups — they gave feedback on group members so I could make adjustments to final grades for the free-riders.

Outcomes

The goal of the module was for the students to apply and engage with what they had previously learned in the course to local natural hazards, social vulnerabilities, and risk perception. The idea of place-based application and learning opportunity with the integration of geoscience and social science methodologies provided an engaging and cross-disciplinary platform for learning. The module allowed students to understand the societal relevance of planning for natural hazards to prevent or mitigate disasters, and empowered students to consider how they could become more resilient. I felt the module was successful as it gave students the opportunity to visualize social and environmental problems in a different way and encouraged them to consider how to apply this knowledge to make a difference in their communities. Students were informed about the module during the first week of class and many were excited to learn they were contributing to a research study and were looking forward to testing the module.

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These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
Explore the Collection »