USING INQUIRY BASED TEAM LEARNING TO CONDUCT ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH WITHIN THE FULLER HOLLOW CREEK WATERSHED ON THE BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

An inquiry based class called Environmental Measurements has been designed for upper level undergraduate and beginning graduate students to conduct research within the watershed on campus using a hydrogeochemical perspective. The Spring 2001 version of the course addressed the question: How does the campus power plant impact the Fuller Hollow Creek Watershed? Students worked together in teams to devise multi-faceted research plans and then trained each other in the use of sampling methods, analytical instrumentation, and interpretation of results from analysis of environmental samples. The students used geochemical mass balance techniques to assess the importance of the campus power plant to the input of trace elements to and outputs from the watershed. Team projects included: 1) creating a GIS database for the region around campus to understand the hydrological impacts of urban development in a forested watershed; 2) collecting meteorological data to predict atmospheric deposition of pollutants from the power plant; 3) measuring changes in surface water flow rates and volumes; 4) analyzing short term temporal differences in the trace element geochemistry of snow, rain, surface water runoff, stream and groundwater water; and 5) examining spatial differences in the trace element geochemistry of soil and rock samples. By presenting the results of the team projects in oral and written report format to other class members, students gained a better appreciation of the complexity involved when approaching problems from an earth systems perspective. As a part of their evaluation for the course, the students were asked to assess their mass balance techniques, and to suggest and design a research program to better quantify natural and anthropogenic trace metal sources, and their environmental impacts to the watershed. Such an inquiry based research course could be readily customized to fit the curriculum and environment at many universities. Other course offerings at Binghamton University are using the watershed and an inquiry based approach to create geophysical, ecological and hydrological research opportunities for undergraduate students.