IGNITING THE SPARK: SHAPING THE UNDERGRADUATE EXPERIENCE THROUGH FIELD-BASED, INTERDISCIPLINARY EXPERIENCES

Red Rocks Community College has a long tradition of introducing students to geology through interdisciplinary, field-based learning experiences. Our hope is to spark interest in geology and the natural world; whether this is their first semester in college, or they are returning to train for another career. Our courses are designed to attract all types of students and require no pre-requisite coursework. This is an important component for interdisciplinary course design, as students from a variety of backgrounds are able to join the course and it can be offered at the freshman level.

Our most successful pairing is the Hawaii geology/biology course. Students enroll in both field courses, attend a series of lectures and activities to help develop background knowledge and field skills, and head to Hawaii for a ten-day field experience. The students build an extensive field journal while on the trip and are assigned a location specific topic to present to the other students during the trip. Throughout the trip, the students are introduced to the many ways that geology influences and shapes the biology and ecology in Hawaii. At the conclusion of the trip; in addition to finalizing their field journal, students follow-up with a creative expression project and integrated knowledge assessment.

This model has been successfully applied to other field locations including Costa Rica, Tanzania, and New Mexico and other discipline pairings; including geology/astronomy, geology/archaeology and biology/archaeology. Future integrated trips in the planning stages are Iceland, Australia and Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. Many students have returned from these trips with a new appreciation for geology and return to take additional courses in the sciences. Getting the students into the field early is an effective way to spark an interest in geology and develop a passion for science and the natural world.