ENGAGING LEARNERS WITH A WEB-BASED INTRODUCTION TO THE CARBON CYCLE

Carbon, as the base of all organic substrates from fossil fuels to DNA, is a functional component of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and geosphere. The flux of carbon between reservoirs is important at local-to-global scales and carbon biogeochemical cycling is a fundamental tenet of Earth, environmental and Earth system science education. We utilize Web-based instruction to address the complexities of the global carbon cycle, deconstructing individual carbon pathways and highlighting the time scales over which carbon cycles. Traditional approaches abstract the carbon cycle based upon disciplinary boundaries, which is counter productive for modern Earth and environmental science education.

Web-based instruction is designed to encourage students to learn independently and provides opportunities for extended, flexible learning beyond the classroom or laboratory. Research has documented the value of computer visualization for enhancing the presentation of complex or abstract content. Complex phenomena involving movement are part of students' everyday experiences, however, explanations are neither easily visualized nor commonly understood within static figures. Computer simulations and interactive animations provide learners with a better visual representation of scientific concepts. Furthermore, they enable learners to manipulate the components of a phenomenon, thus providing opportunities to pose questions, manipulate variables and formulate conclusions.

We developed Web-based instructional modules (www.ei.lehigh.edu/esse/) that use driving questions to enhance student conceptualization and understanding of the global carbon cycle. Flash-based animations assist the learner's understanding about carbon cycling at various temporal and spatial scales and through each significant Earth reservoir. These materials can be incorporated into a variety of undergraduate courses. At Lehigh, learners explore the paradigm of the “missing- terrestrial sink” of carbon and the role of forest recovery and urbanization using the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania as a case study in an introductory Earth & Environmental Science laboratory course.