USING GEOSCIENCE DATABASES TO PROVIDE AUTHENTIC RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDERGRADUATES

Numerous studies have emphasized potential links between research experience and recruitment and retention of undergraduate science majors. Implementation of such approaches is often hampered by lack of lab space and curricular materials. Many two and four-year colleges lack extensive fossil, mineral, and rock collections, yet all have access to “big data” science initiatives, such as the Paleobiology Database (PBDB, paleobiodb.org) and Macrostrat (macrostrat.org).

Here we report on the first phase of an NSF IUSE grant (DUE-1504588) to: (1) develop curricular materials to support the use of these databases at the undergraduate level and ultimately to (2) quantify how students’ attitudes towards science change after engaging in research-based lessons using these two databases.

Survey and focus group data, compiled from 235 members of the geoscience community (educators, researchers, etc.) from 2015-16, suggest that while respondents are interested in using “big data” research databases in the classroom, their efforts are undermined by a lack of familiarity with the database platforms, the complexity of database interfaces, and the lack of available curricular material. As we examine how these databases can be leveraged to provide undergraduate educational experiences, we are working to: (1) improve the usability of the PBDB platform for educators, (2) develop a series of video tutorials aimed at undergraduate students and educators, and (3) generate a set of data-focused lessons that can be incorporated into introductory and advanced geoscience courses. The lessons are modular so that they range in duration from 10 minutes to three hours and can be utilized as in-class assignments, laboratory exercises, field investigations, or homework. These lessons feature essential skills for scientifically literate citizens (including critical thinking, hypothesis generation, and data analysis) applied to a range of societally-important topics, including extinction, evolution, and climate change.

This project will help guide other large scientific databases in crafting curricula for undergraduate students, and provide the means for other earth science programs, including distance education programs, to engage their undergraduates in scientific research.