HARNESSING NOVELTY TO ENHANCE LEARNING IN PLACE-BASED EARTH SCIENCE COURSES: INSIGHTS FROM A JANUARY-TERM COURSE IN HAWAII

Novelty (loosely defined as unfamiliarity of concepts, situations and surroundings) increases motivation to learn and also creates distractions from effective learning during field experiences (Orion and Hofstein,1994; Hurd, 1997). Numerous novelty factors are involved in long-term, off-campus, place-based Earth science courses. A January-term Earth science course to the Hawaiian Islands is a prime example. This 24-day undergraduate course travels from upstate New York to four islands and allows students direct contact with a host of phenomena related to; 1) oceanic volcanism, 2) weathering, 3) mass movement, 4) wave erosion, 5) tectonic and eustatic effects on coastal migration, 6) meteorology and climate, 7) reef development, 8) geographic isolation, speciation and species migration, and 9) human impact on the environment. Relocation of the course to five different bases on four islands allows unique opportunities to compare/contrast similar phenomena on islands with different bedrock age, latitude, altitude, and human development. The course also highlights interaction between humans and nature from both early Polynesian and modern cultural perspectives. Breathtaking and unfamiliar landscape features provide the backdrop for highly motivated students, yet negative novelty factors abound. This presentation describes both positives and pitfalls encountered over three recent incarnations of the Hawaii course, including novelty derived from; student academic background (both non-majors and freshman- to senior-level majors), trip logistics (including personal travel experience/comfort, and group meal planning and preparation), outcrop or trail characteristics, diverse abilities and comfort levels with physical activity, weather conditions, and family communication. We also present measures used to limit but not eliminate “novelty space” (and, in fact, use it to our advantage), such as pre-trip course content and orientation, team-building exercises, course itinerary structure, field day formats and structure, field work exercises, and group projects. The success of this course has led us to incorporate some of the same techniques in a new one-credit, 2-4 day long, place-based field experience course revolving around field trips connected to annual GSA meetings.