INQUIRY-BASED INSTRUCTION USING LARGE PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE DATASETS IN ONLINE GEOSCIENCE COURSES

Working with authentic datasets provides opportunities for students to learn critical quantitative reasoning skills. Project EDDIE (Environmental Data Driven Inquiry and Exploration) seeks to create high quality, modular teaching materials that are flexible and adaptable to multiple course contexts. Analysis of published EDDIE modules suggests the modules are effective in helping students learn both scientific content and quantitative reasoning skills. EDDIE modules are designed to take advantage of the growing number of publicly available large environmental datasets. The modules help students move from guided inquiry to open inquiry as students gain proficiency with new data analysis and quantitative reasoning skills. Each EDDIE module includes a student handout and instructor slide deck, along with a substantial instructor guide to support faculty as they adapt the module for their particular context. Published EDDIE modules cover diverse topics such as climate change, streamflow, water quality, seismology, and limnology.

Transitioning to remote teaching offers the opportunity to assess the effectiveness of EDDIE modules in the remote environment. In this study, instructors in various contexts around the country are teaching EDDIE modules online, particularly the EDDIE Climate Change module, and assessing changes in students’ quantitative reasoning skills, understanding of the process of science, and attitudes about climate change. This study includes majors and non-majors courses taught in synchronous and asynchronous modes at 2 and 4-year colleges in Illinois, Arizona, and New York. Although all the instructors in this study are teaching the module in the context of a lab course, it is also adaptable to lecture settings. The EDDIE Climate Change module asks students to graph modern global average temperature data and Mauna Loa CO₂ data and consider the rate of change in each over a period of time of their choice. Likewise, students then examine temperature and CO₂ data from Vostok ice cores. Finally, students are asked to draw their own conclusion about anthropogenic climate change by comparing the modern and historic rates of change in temperature and CO₂. This approach allows students to develop scientific argumentation. Adaptations to online teaching included finding novel ways for students to engage in discussion.