INCORPORATING KEY ELEMENTS OF CURES INTO THE INTRODUCTORY CLASSROOM: GETSI MODULES AS A MECHANISM FOR BUILDING STUDENT RESEARCH SKILLS (Invited Presentation)

The use of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) in the curriculum changes student conceptions of the nature of scientific thinking and results in student learning gains in data interpretation abilities (Brownell et al., 2015.) Just as a fundamental characteristic of a CURE is students engaging in iterative work over the course of the experience (Auchincloss et al., 2014), faculty interested in designing a CURE may wish to use an iterative process of curriculum development and execution of classroom activities as they transition from a more traditional format to a CURE. This presentation addresses the use of short-term (2-3 weeks of class time), data-rich curricular materials from the GETSI (GEodesy Tools for Societal Issues; NSF-TUES and NSF-IUSE) project to scaffold key elements of CUREs into introductory courses. GETSI materials (serc.carleton.edu/getsi/), developed by faculty author teams from 2 and 4-year institutions and reviewed using the SERC InTeGrate evaluation process, address societally relevant Earth system problems using geodetic data and a variety of interactive instructional methods. Teaching with GETSI modules in the introductory classroom incorporates many CURE characteristics into the course, as students must make predictions, evaluate their hypotheses, and interpret geodetic data collaboratively and critically. Like a CURE, GETSI modules include pre and post-class assignments. The latter often involve students making recommendations to community members or policy makers. GETSI materials foster the development of student skills that are beneficial for future participation in a CURE and could aid faculty in shifting their method of instruction toward a CURE format.