P1.6
Reworking an earth systems science course at Gallaudet University
Henry David Snyder, Gallaudet Univ., Washington, DC
Gallaudet University is a small liberal arts institution whose undergraduate population is composed primarily of deaf students. One of the challenges of teaching science at a small school is to provide an adequate range of course offerings for a relatively small number of students. My experience with the Gallaudet physics department and its majors had previously shown me that students were attracted by programs that offered flexibility and a range of degree options and programs. In the disciplines of earth and environmental sciences, our sciences departments provide limited offerings. Students with an interest in earth/environmental and space sciences would typically take a traditional chemistry or biology major and broaden their training with summer or school year internship experience and exposure to selected coursework at other schools within the District of Columbia Consortium of Universities. After graduating, they could do graduate work in selected fields of specialization. The AMS OnLine weather and oceans courses offer an efficient way to expand our offerings without straining available resources. It has been my plan to establish the courses as permanent offerings of the department. That process has been greatly delayed by ongoing major curriculum changes.
After returning from OnLine Ocean Studies training this summer, I learned further details about great changes being made to our core undergraduate curriculum and I was assigned to teach our introductory Earth and Space Sciences course for the first time in several years. Almost 10 ten years ago, I proposed the course to satisfy our core curriculum science requirement and it was to be co-taught with our biology department. Since establishing the course, it has become more popular each semester. Enrollment is mainly limited by our ability to staff and equip the course lab sections.
My poster will document efforts to rework aspects of the course using the experiences contributed by summer workshops and training of the past two years. My goal for the course is that it provide a variety of experiences to inspire students to learn more about and consider working in fields of earth science. Revisions to the course will focus on implementing a lecture class that is structured to be more interactive, expanding weather and oceans coverage and developing lab activities with more of an exploration theme. Ideally I would like each student to learn that they can make a contribution to earth and space exploration and work in the earth sciences is a challenging, important adventure.
Poster Session 1, Educational Initiatives Poster Session
Sunday, 20 January 2008, 5:30 PM-7:00 PM, Exhibit Hall B
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