STUDENT VIDEO PROJECTS – A MECHANISM TO INTRODUCE AND ENGAGE UNDERGRADUATES WITH ASPECTS OF THE GEOSCIENCES

Universities worldwide have developed various different sets of skills and understanding that are considered fundamental for all. At the University of Massachusetts-Boston, a core undergraduate curriculum included a number of courses with designations in the ARTS, HUMANITIES, NATURAL SCIENCES, QUANTITATIVE REASONING, SOCIAL/BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES and DIVERSITY. The numbers of these courses vary depending on if the student is a BA or BS program. In addition, each student is required a FRESHAMN SEMINAR and an INTERMEDIATE SEMINAR. These courses are designed to enhance the student’s ability to communicate (oral & written), apply technology, work in groups and gain exposure to aspects of the University. The College of Science and Math has began to offer a series of freshman seminar courses specifically designed for science majors in an effort to increase retention and elevate student performance.

In the School for the Environment, the freshman seminar was taught in conjunction with resources provided from the UMass-Boston Civic Engagement Scholar Initiative. As a part of the class, students were required to create teams of two and develop 7-minute videos on an environmental issue. The first 5 minutes described the issue and the last 2 minutes brought the issue back to the city of Boston and established the “why should I care” point of view. Ultimately, the videos will be used to enhance K-12 science classes, non-profit and environmental groups, and individual understanding of the dynamic world and how issues that seem removed from one area are interconnected in various ways.

The result was 16 class-produced videos that showcased environmental issues that ranged from aspects of climate change to green infrastructure. During the development of the videos, the students applied all of the aspects of the required course components for a UMass-Boston Freshman Seminar. In light of the success of the pilot program, the School for the Environment is considering developing the project into a required activity for the Freshman and Intermediate seminars, senior capstone and other upper division courses.