EMBEDDING RESEARCH IN A COUPLED STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMME AND SEMESTER COURSE

Embedded research is throughout the Frontiers Abroad Aotearoa study abroad programme and within the coupled semester long research methods course (GEOL 356*) at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Frontiers Abroad is a study abroad programme operated in New Zealand, in which undergraduate geology students undertake five modules; Field Module 1: Introduction to Geologic Field Mapping, Field Module 2: Detailed stratigraphic and structural mapping, Field Module 3: Igneous, Metamorphic and Sedimentary Features of a Metamorphic Core Complex, Field Module 4: Volcanoes: Eruption Styles, Volcano Monitoring and Hazards, and Field Module 5: Independent Research. Embedded throughout these modules are components of research (i.e. field protocols, formulating a research question, sampling, and analytical techniques).

Research in Module 5 has two components; 1) Students contribute to a larger ongoing research (Group) project on the volcanism of Banks Peninsula via detailed mapping and systematic sampling. 2) Students initiate their own independent research, with research question tailored to their individual interests. The course (GEOL 356) is designed to link aspects of Module 5, field mapping and/or data collection, via guidance (lectures and tutorials) in research methods, analysing, processing, and the interpretation of data. Group research, focusses on communication, sample preparation and analysis, data presentation, while individual research develops research skills valid to chosen research disciplines. At the end of the course students have refined their research skills, written and critiqued a research proposal, written a short journal-article style paper, produced a scientific poster, and delivered a professional research presentation. This “scaffold” approach within a coupled field programme and research course results in a perceived high student ownership of their research, with positive outputs for each student and the involved research groups. Many research projects have formed the basis for ‘Senior Thesis’ projects for students returning to their home institution, and have been published in international peer reviewed journals.

*GEOL356 is an undergraduate research course at the University of Canterbury for students enrolled in the Frontiers Abroad programme.