USING LOCAL GEOLOGY TO FOSTER A COLLABORATIVE, PROJECT-BASED CURRICULUM IN INTRODUCTORY GEOSCIENCE LABORATORIES: IMPACT ON STUDENT PERFORMANCE; BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES ON A FOUR-YEAR URBAN COMMUTER CAMPUS

Measurable student outcomes have become increasingly important in program evaluation, accreditation, and funding in higher education. Institutions serving historically underserved communities, non-traditional populations, and commuter campuses face special challenges providing students with accessible, meaningful, and achievable education. Vital to the communities they serve, these institutions have historically realized lower persistence rates than many of their traditional, residential counterparts.

This case study evaluates the use of a locally focused, highly collaborative, project-based learning model on student performance and persistence in introductory geoscience laboratories. Collaborative, project-based learning models have been shown to benefit student learning and engagement in the STEM disciplines. Drawing on this foundation, we developed learning modules with a strong focus on local geology and local environmental concerns. Student teams worked on three project-based laboratories dealing with the local geology/geomorphology, water quality of a local stream, and local flooding issues. These replaced workbook-style laboratories on topographic maps and streams processes. Student teams presented project results in lieu of a traditional laboratory practical. Results suggest that student performance and attitudes towards course material benefitted from this learning model. Over three semesters (fall 2016, spring 2017, and fall 2017), DFW rates in reformed laboratory sections averaged 5.45% (6.59% including never-attended students) compared with an historical DFW rate of 13%. Average GPA in the reformed laboratories increased to 3.04 (out of a possible 4.0), compared with an historical average 2.76 GPA for the three semesters prior. The authors consider specific benefits and challenges of this model in the context of increasing the quality of learning in introductory courses, and attracting majors and minors to the geosciences. This initiative is part of a larger campus-wide effort to better address student needs and to remove obstacles to academic success for non-traditional student populations.