ACTIVE LEARNING IN THE GEOSCIENCES THROUGH AN ENGAGEMENT THEORY LENS (Invited Presentation)

Across STEM disciplines active learning has been framed by researchers in different ways, including at least two such framings for the geosciences. At the core of each of these frameworks, however, is student engagement in the knowledge construction process. We suggest, therefore, that it is important to frame active learning using student engagement as the central construct and introduce engagement theory as a theoretical lens for research examining active learning in the geosciences. Using Sinatra et al.’s (2015) engagement framework, we propose a model for examining active learning in the geosciences that has four dimensions of engagement: 1) behavioral engagement as evidenced through student actions, including attendance, participation, and work completion; 2) emotional engagement occurring when a student feels a sense of value and belonging by the learning community; 3) agentic engagement occurring when a student actively contributes to and influences the course of instruction; and 4) cognitive engagement as evaluated through content learning gains.

Using engagement as a theoretical lens for active learning, we connect existing geoscience education research (GER) literature to this active learning model and describe GER active learning studies that investigate behavioral, emotional, agentic, and cognitive engagement, or a combination thereof. In addition to demonstrating how recent work recognizes these aspects of student engagement, this process highlights current gaps in GER active learning literature and opportunities to move GER forward in this research. Thus, we recommend using the model as a way to frame active learning investigations around behavioral, emotional, agentic, and cognitive engagement, ground active learning studies in theory, and strengthen the evidence for active learning practices in geoscience education. Specifically, we suggest that future GER active learning studies measure more than content learning gains. We recommend that future research: 1) document methods and outcomes with effect sizes to improve the strength of evidence for active learning strategies; 2) prioritize studies that emphasize behavioral, emotional, agentic, and cognitive engagement in the geosciences; and 3) examine the intersection of these different lenses in active learning analyses.