STUDENT INITIATION: AN APPROACH TO DEVELOPING NORMS, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE TO FULFIL THE SOCIAL ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF SCIENTIFICALLY LITERATE CITIZENS IN A FIRST-YEAR GEOSCIENCE COURSE FOR MAJORS AND NON-MAJORS

Introductory geoscience courses commonly introduce the knowledge of Earth systems processes needed to responsibly contribute to many civic issues, but rarely do they concurrently facilitate experiences or the development of an ethos to engage. In response, a first year introductory Earth system science course was revised to embed norms, skills, and experience to support aspects of geoethics for majors and non-majors alike. With a focus on civic engagement, rather than professional-decision making, the courses’ learning outcomes were revised to incorporate the development of socially responsible geoscientists and university-educated community members that seek ways to engage with decisions regarding stewardship of Earth system processes. In order to facilitate this outcome, a small and easy to shepherd course assignment was developed that rewarded students if they applied their understanding of a geoscience topic of interest, gained from peer-reviewed articles, and engaged with their community around the topic. Students had free choice of how they wanted to engage with community and projects commonly leveraged individual arenas of influence, creativity, and personal aptitudes. Most projects aimed to communicate with political and business decision-makers, influence policy, or enhance public understanding of an issue. Projects were evaluated according to potential to make a positive impact beyond the classroom. This assessment was divided according to the following three criteria 1) A compelling scientific rationale for the change they hope their action will support. 2) Choice of audience and nature of the strategic action in terms of whether the action and audience are likely to have influence. 3) Clarity of message and link with positive change. Although the project accounted for less than ten percent of student final grades, they were often inspiring and increased the instructor’s sense of meaning in teaching the course.