A MULTIDISCIPLINARY, FIELD EXPERIENCE APPROACH TO INTRODUCING GENERAL EDUCATION STUDENTS TO THE GEOLOGY OF CENTRAL CALIFORNIA

On site observation, analysis and discussion can be a very effective way to help students fully comprehend classroom and textbook concepts and content. Hence, field trips to local sites of geological interest have long been a required component of introductory geosciences courses at Pacific and elsewhere. One of the many challenges faced when designing field experiences for general education courses is to fully engage students who have no intention of pursuing geology as a major or career and who sometimes view field trips as just another requirement to be endured.

We have found that one of the best ways to engage students during field experiences is to use a multidisciplinary approach. Stops are not only chosen for their geological significance, but also to introduce students to many other aspects of their local environment and human interaction. En route [using CB radios], at field trip stops and in printed field guides we include observations and discussions which address a variety of issues including fauna and flora, human history and urban development, soils and agricultural practices, water use, resource management and environmental issues viewed from many perspectives. For example, while standing on the levee at Old River Bridge on the San Joaquin Delta we observe and discuss fluvial process and delta subsidence. Other topics covered at the same stop include the flora [native tules and invasive hyacinths], waterway navigation and recreation, benefits and challenges resulting from levee building and maintenance, delta agricultural practices, urban encroachment [the Discovery Bay development] and California's water distribution system.

Course evaluation analysis suggests that this approach is very effective pedagogically. Implementation of these experiences, however, can be challenging. A significant amount of time is needed to acquire the knowledge, select localities and write field guides in order to produce high-quality field experiences. At Pacific and possibly other institutions there is minimal funding available and almost no promotion or tenure “credit” provided for this type of pedagogy-based scholarly activity. Where this is the case, multidisciplinary field experiences might best be developed by senior faculty and “passed on” to junior faculty for future modification.