InTeGrate Modules and Courses >Water, Agriculture, Sustainability > Instructor Stories > Nicole Davi
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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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Nicole Davi: Hydrology and the Environment at William Paterson University of New Jersey


About this Course

This is a 400 level class for Environmental Science majors.

12
students
One 2.5 hr class each week



Syllabus (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 483kB Nov3 16)

A Success Story in Building Student Engagement

Students in my hydrology class were very engaged and excited to use these materials. The instructions were clear and the students did a great job working through the module in the time allotted. Having them analyze and compare datasets firsthand was very effective and motivating. Students developed a much deeper sense of our water problems and how they connect to them and also a better sense at how to evaluate data first hand.

The quote I heard from students that was most memorable to me was "this is fun!" That is about the best I can hope for when students are waist deep in interpreting data. This was during the gallery walk, and it was fun, for me as well.

My Experience Teaching with InTeGrateMaterials

My hydrology class met for two and half hours each week, so for the first part of that class I gave a brief lecture and we discusses readings and various topics connected to the course content. I used the data/modules during the 2nd half of the class, much like a lab. This worked out very well. Students worked through the materials in the time allotted.

Relationship of InTeGrate Materials to my Course

My class runs for 16 weeks and I started incorporating the module materials in the 4th week, after students were introduced to introductory material on watersheds, the hydrological cycle and ENSO.

Assessments

I use discussions in every class to gauge student learning and see what topics/activities are most effective and/or most challenging. I also, often use "2-minute papers" at the end of class to find out what material is working and what isn't. Through these assessments I could see that the students were doing well with the material and the really enjoyed working with it. I give a midterm and a final in the class that also touched on the module materials. I use a somewhat open ended essay (short essay) format for these exams.

Outcomes

My vision for this class was to make it more student-centered with active learning activities. I also wanted to use materials that gave students more opportunities to analyze and compare data 1st hand. Students performed very well using these materials and it was clear that they enjoyed working with it and were excited by it.

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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 »