INFORMAL LEARNING INTEGRATION WITHIN FORMAL GEOSCIENCES INSTRUCTION: LEVERAGING FIELD INVESTIGATIONS FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGED LEARNING AND GEOHERITAGE APPRECIATION IN VIRTUAL CLASSROOMS

Geologists rally around the slogan that “geology is best taught in the field.” Not only do field excursions provide learners with opportunities to apply geologic content and analyze authentic landscapes, but they can also leverage Community Engaged Learning (CEL) where students assist community partners, evaluate site sustainability, and deepen their appreciation of their local geoheritage. While our previous research demonstrated that self-directed field investigations in online environments resulted in positive student learning outcomes, the effectiveness of online CEL had yet to be demonstrated. The 2020 pandemic provided the opportunity to probe whether self-directed virtual Community Engaged Learning was possible. The Fall 2020 Principles of Paleoecology course was held entirely online. Students self-directed both their fossil collecting/paleoenvironmental interpretation research, and the CEL component where they assisted community partners and evaluated how to optimize Mississippi’s only fossil park. Although completed virtually, paleoenvironmental projects and CEL solutions were both similar in quality to previous semesters’ face-to-face course projects; there were no significant differences between project scores. All students affirmed the value of independent fossil collecting and paleoenvironmental reconstruction for applying course content. Everyone (N=11) remarked that field investigations and community partnerships increased their understanding of their local environment. Several students (n=5) spontaneously remarked that the projects helped them make connections between marine fossils, higher sea levels and/or warmer climates—resulting in an appreciation of the local geoheritage. Students commented that CEL was a “real life” application of content and added meaning to the course. Even within virtual classrooms, students respond well to field investigations and community engaged partnerships that leverage the course content.