SUPPORTING STUDENT EXPLORATION OF GEOSCIENCE THROUGH TRADITIONAL AND VIRTUAL FIELD EXPERIENCES (Invited Presentation)

Many students find their way into our discipline through experiences with geoscience that occur once they are already enrolled at a post-secondary institution. Students often report connections to course content, engaging instructors, and impactful experiences as catalysts that lead them to join our departments and continue in our classrooms. Geoscientists of all identities, interests, and abilities are needed to solve the world’s most pressing global challenges, therefore actions to broaden participation and enact successful recruitment and retention strategies should reflect the many ways in which a student may wish to engage with our discipline. Field experiences, traditionally those involving outdoor activities but also expanding to include virtual worlds, require considerable time, effort, and resources to be developed, therefore thoughtful consideration of who and how we are engaging is critical for recruiting and supporting the next generation of geoscientists.

Both quantitative and qualitative research methods can be helpful in understanding the experiences of our students (and those we are encouraging to join the discipline). Three studies, cutting across student level and type of field experience, will be highlighted as opportunities for student exploration of geoscience. The first, focusing on student-led, place-based explorations of campus, grants students agency in determining what aspects of geoscience to explore. The second highlights the importance of scaffolded activities in both traditional and virtual field experiences for supporting emerging interest. Lastly, flexibility in the mode of training for upper-level geoscience majors preparing to join the workforce is considered through the lens of cognitive apprenticeship. These represent just a few ways in which students may engage with geoscience, though it is critical that as a discipline we continue to develop innovative, student-centered, and responsive strategies for supporting students through their geoscience journey.