DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF EXTENDED FIELD PROGRAMS FOR INTRODUCTORY GEOSCIENCE STUDENTS: PROGRAM ELEMENTS TO PROMOTE CONTENT, SKILLS, AND AFFECTIVE GAINS

Field instruction is a central course-level and program-level theme in the Earth Sciences and Astronomy Department at Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC), a community college in Los Angeles County. Our field program has evolved to emphasize the development of geoscience field skills and place-based geologic content knowledge and serves as an important tool for the recruitment and retention of STEM majors. Although most courses in the department may be applied toward the college’s AA in Natural Sciences degree, all but one of our courses are introductory-level, and the majority of students who enroll in department courses are non-science majors seeking to fulfill a General Education science requirement necessary for transfer. In contrast, other students have identified as geoscience majors and have taken multiple courses in our department. The resulting disparity in geoscience content knowledge and skills is a significant challenge in designing level-appropriate field experiences with rigorous cognitive, behavioral, and affective learning objectives for all students. In January 2014, 15 students participated in the Mt. SAC Earth Science and Astronomy Hawai’i program, including 2 weeks of on-campus instruction and 3.5 weeks in Hawai’i and Maui. In 2015, 14 students completed GEOL29 (Special Topics in Field Geology), with 6 weeks of on-campus class meetings, a 3-day field trip to the Eastern Sierras/White Mountains, and an 18-day field trip to Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah with an emphasis on geologic mapping. We report on the development, curricular elements, execution, and outcomes of these field programs, as well as barriers to implementation, using input from faculty, administrators, and students who were involved in the programs. We will also present student data to examine the progression of geologic mapping skills and affective gains over the course of the field program. Finally, we will discuss mechanisms for building effective relationships between various stakeholders (faculty, staff, administrators, students, scientists, Park Service and field station personnel, etc.) whose buy-in and participation is essential to the success of the field program.