CREATING AND IMPLEMENTING AN EFFECTIVE ONLINE CLASS IN THE GEOSCIENCES

An upper division course in oceanography has been taught as an online course to more than 2500 students since 1999 with a similar number of students completing the course in a hybrid format, consisting of a blend of classroom lectures and online expeditions. Course design and implementation focused on strategic outcomes in order to create a high quality learning experience within the budgetary constraints of a public undergraduate institution. The oceanography course was designed around three learning outcomes of the general education program, which include the ability of students to understand the methods and limits of science, distinguish science from pseudoscience, and apply a scientific approach to problems of the earth and environment. The learning strategy is to have students take on the role of practicing oceanographers by participating on interactive virtual research expeditions, which combine materials developed specifically for this course with materials that are accessible through several outside WWW sites. The self-paced tutorials, which mix text, interactive graphics, animations, video, and real-time oceanographic data are combined with discussion boards in which students assume assigned roles in discussions of a proposed fishing moratorium along California, science and pseudoscience, the challenges of scientific research, and iron fertilization of the ocean. Assessment is embedded into all graded assignments, which culminate in a research grant proposal as the final exam, to ensure that university-required learning outcomes are met or exceeded. Critical to the success of the course is the ability of students to complete the work at their convenience each week and at any location with access to the WWW. As a result, students move forward to graduation through opportunities that are not possible in a classroom setting. The effort to create and implement the course, though substantial, can be leveraged effectively to meet the traditional faculty responsibilities of teaching, scholarship, and service.