ASSESSING STUDENT PERFORMANCE AND INTEREST FROM THE START OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC TO PRESENT USING ENGAGEMENT, ATTENDANCE, AND GRADES AS INDICATORS

Preliminary data analysis involving several introductory geology courses, mostly tied with general education curriculum, indicated that when comparing interest and engagement between different geological topics being taught, there was no clear winner. However, topics that drew the most attention tended to be any that contained sub-topics that were controversial or exciting. For example: volcanoes (destructive capability and evacuation measures), earthquakes (similar magnitude with variable destruction), fluvial processes (frequency of mega-flood and impact on urban areas) and groundwater (contamination due to over pumping). Topics that did not yield positive outcomes, or generate enough curiosity, were those typically less sensational by their nature (glaciers, sedimentary rocks, mineral chemistry, identification of minerals and rocks, deserts, etc.). Interestingly, a scarcity of rare earth rich minerals drew attention, as the dwindling resource potential may cripple manufacturing of electronics and communication devices. Students seemed to be thoroughly engaged to participate in topics that connected with a broader spectrum of socio-economic consequences. In a way, it demonstrated the significance of applied geology as a cornerstone as part of geoscience knowledge gathering. Being in urban setting, where many students are commuting or non-traditional type, dissemination of content knowledge required incorporation of current events such as extreme weather-related mega-floods, forest fires, landslides, hurricanes, coastal surges etc. Assessing interest poses a challenge because of multiple variables and interconnectedness. Students tended to spend less time in class on Fridays, but more time during the last topic before an examination in anticipation of a review. Grades have been mixed, but are generally lower between Spring 2020 and Spring 2022 semesters for the same class covering the same topics, in the same order. Overall learning comprehension appears to have decreased. It is recommended to practitioners for devising pedagogically-sound lessons on any geology/environmental science-related topic to include using as many recent, real-world incident examples as possible and especially relying on controversial, debatable, and sensational sub-topics (within reason).