Maintaining a Small-group Discussion Focus while Bringing International Issues into the Large Classroom
Scott Rice-Snow, Richard H. Fluegeman May, 2004 Journal of Geoscience Education v52, p260
This article describes 'Oceans and Nations,' a course that addresses human interactions with the ocean and interactions among the world’s nations in the ocean environment. Students discuss many specific issues of marine law and ocean resource management, and present positions and policy recommendations to the class at large. Group work integrates scientific understanding with cultural, political, and economic considerations. Factors important to the success of the course have included worksheet-based discussions, a seating chart incorporating permanent small discussion groups, monitoring of group performance by a student assistant, varied format of group reports, and a significant component of discussion-related material on tests.
