ENGAGING NON-MAJOR EPS STUDENTS WITH MOBILE DEVICES AND LEARNING CATALYTICS

Earth and planetary sciences (EPS) present challenges to the average undergraduate general education student. Most students have had only physics, chemistry, or biology in school, have retained little from those courses, and are grossly ill-prepared in mathematics. Many have poor critical thinking skills and they struggle with concepts and processes that are beyond the familiar space- and time-scales of human experience. Private Universe-type misconceptions (www.learner.org) about how natural systems work are widespread. Although major EPS classes generally have small enrollments, “Rocks for Jocks,” “Moons for Goons,” etc., often have enrollments of several hundred students. Students are disinclined to raise a hand to ask a question in front of hundreds of peers and can easily become disengaged and inattentive.

The author has experimented with student response systems in a 375-student EPS class for a number of years. Students intensely disliked the first generation of ‘clickers’ but love using their mobile devices to communicate via SMS text messaging and colored light cellphone apps. After experimenting with PollEverywhere.com polling software, Learning Catalytics was field tested in Fall 2013. Developed by Eric Mazur and colleagues at Harvard, Learning Catalytics is designed to promote peer instruction. All students are required to have a mobile device and they sign in in numbered seats. The instructor can address all students by name and the software introduces students to their neighbors. Real time statistics facilitate multiple question rounds with students grouped by disparate score for think-pair-text exercises in the second round, so that strong students can help their weaker peers. Question types include student sketches and graph plotting via their mobile devices.

Compared with 2011, final grades, which were not curved, showed a significant drop in DWIF grades and a modal shift towards B+. Student evaluations were overwhelmingly positive with 97% saying that the software enhanced their own engagement in the class and 84% recommending it be used again in the Spring. One student tweeted “It was the best class ever! I liked it more than the classes of my major. It was very interesting and inspiring…”