A NEW CURRICULUM AND A NEW VISION: MY HOW WE'VE GROWN… Thomas Hickson and Melissa Lamb University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN 55105 [email protected].

A NEW CURRICULUM AND A NEW VISION: MY HOW

WE'VE GROWN…

A NEW CURRICULUM AND A NEW VISION: MY HOW

WE'VE GROWN…

Thomas Hickson and Melissa LambUniversity of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN

[email protected]

Thomas Hickson and Melissa LambUniversity of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN

[email protected]

Here’s what happened…Here’s what happened…

UST Geology enrollments

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Here’s what we did…Here’s what we did…

UST Geology enrollments

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1990-91

1991-92

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New faculty hired

New curriculum implemented

Developed a clear vision of what we wanted to doDeveloped a clear vision of what we wanted to do

Unique situation: two new faculty, and no one else

Brought in Barb Tewksbury for workshop

PKAL workshop on geoscience curriculum

Carefully considered our ‘audience’: the student pool we would draw from

Unique situation: two new faculty, and no one else

Brought in Barb Tewksbury for workshop

PKAL workshop on geoscience curriculum

Carefully considered our ‘audience’: the student pool we would draw from

Pathways to a major...Pathways to a major...

Good in high school science

Love rocks and geology

Take Math, Chem, Physics infreshman and sophomore years

Finishes geology degree in 4 years

Pathways to a major...Pathways to a major...Loathed high school science and math

Started in business major

Forced to take a science courseso decided to take geology

Took second geology courseat extreme risk to mental health

Decided on a geology minor

Decides to major at beginning of junior year

Changed to psychology major

Changed to political science major

Pathways to a major...Pathways to a major...Loathed high school science and math

Started in on general requirements

Forced to take a science courseso decided to take geology

Took second geology courseat extreme risk to mental health

Decided on a geology minorDecides to major at

beginning of junior year

Started on psychology majorChanged to political science major

Stopped out to work in a restaurant for 2 years

Stopped out because of financial issues

Elements of the visionElements of the vision

Provide a challenging program with a strong field component

Create scientifically-informed problem-solvers

Welcome all students into science

Allow students to grow as individuals and stewards of the planet

Provide a challenging program with a strong field component

Create scientifically-informed problem-solvers

Welcome all students into science

Allow students to grow as individuals and stewards of the planet

Developed a new curriculum with this vision in mind

Developed a new curriculum with this vision in mind

Elements of the curriculum

Elements of the curriculum

Choice of one intro course Six core courses:

Earth Materials Regional Geology and Geological Field Methods Fundamentals of the Lithosphere I and II (year-long

structure, petrology and tectonics course) Sedimentology/Stratigraphy Advanced Earth History (Capstone)

Three geology elective courses One semester each of calculus, chemistry, and physics B.S. option for those planning on grad school

Choice of one intro course Six core courses:

Earth Materials Regional Geology and Geological Field Methods Fundamentals of the Lithosphere I and II (year-long

structure, petrology and tectonics course) Sedimentology/Stratigraphy Advanced Earth History (Capstone)

Three geology elective courses One semester each of calculus, chemistry, and physics B.S. option for those planning on grad school

Elements of the curriculum

Elements of the curriculum Focused-topic introductory courses: all count

toward the major Emphasizes field-based labs and research Integrates considerable PBL techniques into all

courses Field camp comes early: only an intro course as a

pre-requisite Research opportunities early Very flexible prerequisite structure Can complete the major in two years Changed allied course requirements: not every

student is going to graduate school Allows for course corrections along the way: BA to

BS; minor to major; accounting to geoscience

Focused-topic introductory courses: all count toward the major

Emphasizes field-based labs and research Integrates considerable PBL techniques into all

courses Field camp comes early: only an intro course as a

pre-requisite Research opportunities early Very flexible prerequisite structure Can complete the major in two years Changed allied course requirements: not every

student is going to graduate school Allows for course corrections along the way: BA to

BS; minor to major; accounting to geoscience

Focus on two aspects of this that seem most critical

Focus on two aspects of this that seem most critical

Recruiting from introductory courses

Implementing field camp early

Recruiting from introductory courses

Implementing field camp early

Recruiting from large, introductory courses

Recruiting from large, introductory courses

Five different intro coursesIntro PhysicalGeology of the

National ParksThe Science of

Natural DisastersThe Earth’s

Record of ClimateEnvironmental

Geology

Five different intro coursesIntro PhysicalGeology of the

National ParksThe Science of

Natural DisastersThe Earth’s

Record of ClimateEnvironmental

Geology

Recruiting from large, introductory courses

Recruiting from large, introductory courses

Tenured or t-track faculty teach them

Emphasize student-faculty collaborative research

Have geology majors as TA’s

Regular communication with our best students

Funnel as many as possible into our field course

Tenured or t-track faculty teach them

Emphasize student-faculty collaborative research

Have geology majors as TA’s

Regular communication with our best students

Funnel as many as possible into our field course

January-term field courseJanuary-term field courseOnly an intro as a

prerequisiteFairly traditional

skills emphasizedAt least one sub-

project related to faculty researchStudents involved

in a primary question

Only an intro as a prerequisite

Fairly traditional skills emphasized

At least one sub-project related to faculty researchStudents involved

in a primary question

From the student’s perspective: what is

working?

From the student’s perspective: what is

working?

From the student’s perspective: what is

working?

From the student’s perspective: what is

working? Professors love their discipline, but they also love the ‘science’ of teaching

All courses contain quality, hands-on field labs

Faculty accommodate a wide range of student backgrounds

Faculty link geology to the real world: what you can do with a degree and how you can get a job

Many work & research opportunities

Professors love their discipline, but they also love the ‘science’ of teaching

All courses contain quality, hands-on field labs

Faculty accommodate a wide range of student backgrounds

Faculty link geology to the real world: what you can do with a degree and how you can get a job

Many work & research opportunities

From the student’s perspective: what is

working?

From the student’s perspective: what is

working? Faculty convey the sense that you don’t have to be a ‘genius’ to be a scientist; that anyone can do it

Students really get to know faculty: they teach both intro and advanced courses

Faculty care about students

ENTHUSIASM of faculty

Faculty convey the sense that you don’t have to be a ‘genius’ to be a scientist; that anyone can do it

Students really get to know faculty: they teach both intro and advanced courses

Faculty care about students

ENTHUSIASM of faculty

We changed a LOT of things…

…what actually may have made the difference?

We changed a LOT of things…

…what actually may have made the difference?

In terms of attracting majors to the program…

In terms of attracting majors to the program…

Survey resultsSurvey results

N=16 students in a junior level course in progress (Fundamentals of the Lithosphere I)

75% geology majors6% geology minors19% undecided, but leaning

toward a geology major

N=16 students in a junior level course in progress (Fundamentals of the Lithosphere I)

75% geology majors6% geology minors19% undecided, but leaning

toward a geology major

How many were ‘converts’?

How many were ‘converts’?

19% knew they wanted to major or minor in geology when they entered UST

63% did not

19% knew they wanted to major or minor in geology when they entered UST

63% did not

56% changed their major or added geology as a

double major

56% changed their major or added geology as a

double major

13% had geology as their first major

13% had geology as their first major

I was inspired to take more geology because of the quality of teaching in

intro

I was inspired to take more geology because of the quality of teaching in

intro63% strongly

agree19% agree12% neither

agree nor disagree

6% disagree

63% strongly agree

19% agree12% neither

agree nor disagree

6% disagree

I was inspired to take more geology because the

material in intro was interesting to me

I was inspired to take more geology because the

material in intro was interesting to me

75% strongly agree19% agree6% neither agree nor disagree

75% strongly agree19% agree6% neither agree nor disagree

I decided to take more geology because I could see a future career that

would be satisfying to me.

I decided to take more geology because I could see a future career that

would be satisfying to me.

38% strongly agree38% agree19% neither agree nor disagree6% disagree

38% strongly agree38% agree19% neither agree nor disagree6% disagree

I decided to take more geology because the department

seemed like a welcoming place where I would fit in and be able

to grow

I decided to take more geology because the department

seemed like a welcoming place where I would fit in and be able

to grow75% strongly agree13% agree13% neither agree nor disagree

75% strongly agree13% agree13% neither agree nor disagree

I decided to major or minor after taking the j-term field

course.

I decided to major or minor after taking the j-term field

course.31% strongly

agree19% agree6% neither agree

nor disagree6% disagree13% strongly

disagree25% N/A

31% strongly agree

19% agree6% neither agree

nor disagree6% disagree13% strongly

disagree25% N/A

ConclusionsConclusions

Required a strong commitment by all facultyHelps to have a strong, common focusMust focus on recruiting: nearly everything

we do has a recruiting ‘spin’Must adapt to:

Highly variable backgrounds and abilitiesVery little prerequisite knowledge in some upper

division coursesQuality of the program did not suffer: it

improved!

Required a strong commitment by all facultyHelps to have a strong, common focusMust focus on recruiting: nearly everything

we do has a recruiting ‘spin’Must adapt to:

Highly variable backgrounds and abilitiesVery little prerequisite knowledge in some upper

division coursesQuality of the program did not suffer: it

improved!