GP-Impact: Improving Geoscience Education Pathways through Engaging Scientific and Career Experiences

GP-Impact：通过参与科学和职业经验改善地球科学教育途径

• 批准号: 1540719
• 负责人: Brian Savage
• 金额: $ 31.2万
• 依托单位: University of Rhode Island
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-09-15 至 2020-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1540719&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: GP; Impact; Improving; Geoscience; Education

The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) and the University of Rhode Island (URI) together reach 1500+ students annually through general education and introductory geoscience courses. These institutions train a subset of those students as geoscience majors (~70 URI majors presently) for societally important positions in education, industry, federal agencies, conservation organizations, and more. The American Geosciences Institute 2014 Workforce Report predicts a workforce shortage of 135,000 geoscientists by 2022. This imminent need for well-prepared geoscientists must be answered by the engagement of academic geoscience departments. The intellectual merit of this project is multi-layered. A tractable set of changes is being implemented in Rhode Island public institutions of higher education to yield measurable outcomes, in terms of increases in the number and diversity of geoscience majors. A variety of experiences are being integrated into and scaffolded with the undergradute curriculum that are based on research-identified recommendations and strategies to reduce barriers for becoming and remaining a geoscience major. The relative importance of each factor for increasing student involvement and greater diversity in the geosciences is being evaluated, with specific attention to the case of 2YC-4YC geoscience transfer students. In this way, future activities (in Rhode Island and elsewhere) can focus policies and resources on what will make the largest difference in student decisions to become and remain geoscientists. Overall, this project seeks to promote science and advance national prosperity by strengthening the geoscience workforce, both through direct engagement with students and sharing of successful strategies with other organizations and institutions of higher learning.Recognizing the growing importance of two-year colleges (2YCs) as the starting point for students who earn bachelor's degrees at 4-year institutions (4YCs), CCRI and URI are implementing a number of modifications and new programs that are aimed at increasing the number and diversity of geoscientists in each institution's programs. The goals of this program are to: (1) improve the 2YC/4YC transfer rate in the geosciences in Rhode Island; (2) increase the number and diversity of geoscience graduates; (3) enhance student training in geoscience and STEM-related fields; and, (4) contribute to the evidence base of successful practices in geoscience education. In this collaboration, CCRI and URI are putting in place both on- and off-campus components, including: targeted improvements to the gateway course to the major; systematic enhancements of the undergraduate curriculum in terms of data-rich activities, collaborative learning, and field experiences; streamlining of the transfer path into geosciences; a new research-focused course that is team-taught by CCRI and URI faculty; a workshop engaging students in the process of applying for internships and research opportunities; a series of information-sharing and mentoring events for prospective geoscience majors. A developmental evaluation strategy with formative and summative assessments is being applied to monitor progress in achieving project goals. This project is expected to increase the number and diversity of the pool of geosciences majors and new, practicing geoscientists. For all students, this project will have bettered the undergraduate experience and provided new mentorship and paths to professional success. Changes made to the URI and CCRI curricular programs will endure, and new community building events will foster a more engaged community, with untold positive impacts. In addition, this project will cement fledgling collaborations between 2YC and 4YC Rhode Island faculty in the geosciences, paving the way for multiple future projects. Presentations at regional and national meetings and publications resulting from this work have the potential to transfer findings and enhance experiences in the larger geoscience community.

罗德岛社区学院（CCRI）和罗德岛大学（URI）每年通过通识教育和入门地球科学课程共同吸引1500多名学生。这些机构将这些学生的一部分作为地球科学专业（目前约有70名URI专业）培训，以在教育，工业，联邦机构，保护组织等方面担任社会重要的立场。 2014年美国地球科学研究所的劳动力报告预测，到2022年，劳动力短缺的地球科学家短缺。必须通过学术地球科学部门的参与来回答这种对充分准备的地球科学家的需求。该项目的智力优点是多层的。罗德岛公共机构的高等教育公共机构正在实施一系列可进行的变化，以在地球科学专业的数量和多样性的增加方面产生可衡量的结果。各种经验正在与本科课程融入并脚手架，这些课程基于研究识别的建议和策略，以减少成为地球科学专业的障碍。正在评估每个因素对增加学生参与和更大多样性的相对重要性，并特别注意2YC-4YC地球科学转移学生的情况。这样，未来的活动（在罗德岛州和其他地方）可以将政策和资源集中在使学生决定成为和保持地球科学家的最大差异上。总体而言，该项目旨在通过直接与学生进行直接互动以及与其他组织和高等教育的机构共享成功的策略来促进科学并促进国家繁荣。认识到两年年级（2YC）的重要性（2ycs）是为了获得4年新学院的学生（2YC）的起点（4YYCS），CCRI和CRI和CRI ITAINIC），CCRI和CRI和URI ATICE ITA和URI ATICIE gorie and IRI和IRI ATICE和IRI ATICE ATIFIC AR ITRIE和IRI ATICINIC AR ITRIE和IRI ATICE ATIFIC ATIFIC AR ITIFICIAL和IRI ATICINIC AR ITRIE和IRI AT。旨在增加每个机构计划中的地球科学家的数量和多样性。该计划的目标是：（1）提高罗德岛地球科学的2yc/4yc转移率； （2）增加地球科学毕业生的数量和多样性； （3）增强在地球科学和STEM相关领域的学生培训； （4）有助于地球科学教育成功实践的证据基础。在这项合作中，CCRI和URI在校外和校外组件中都建立了：包括：针对少校门户课程的有针对性改进；在数据丰富的活动，协作学习和现场经验方面，本科课程的系统增强；简化转移路径进入地球科学；由CCRI和URI教师教授的新的以研究为中心的课程；一个讲习班让学生参与申请实习和研究机会的过程；为潜在地球科学专业的一系列信息共享和指导活动。正在应用具有形成性和总结性评估的发展评估策略，以监视实现项目目标的进度。预计该项目将增加地球科学专业和新的，从事地球科学家的数量和多样性。对于所有学生，该项目将改善本科经验，并为专业成功提供新的指导和途径。对URI和CCRI课程课程的变化将持久，新的社区建设活动将促进一个更具吸引力的社区，并产生无数的积极影响。此外，该项目将巩固地球科学中2YC和4YC Rhode Island教师之间的合作，为多个未来的项目铺平了道路。这项工作引起的区域和国家会议和出版物的演讲有可能转移发现和增强更大地球科学界的经验。