Modules

The three-year program scaffolds modules embedded in introductory geology, chemistry, and physics courses to a two-stage extracurricular service-learning program to promote interest, increase motivation, and build geoscience identity and community.

Each semester at NVC, four course modules designed for the three introductory science courses will expose ~900 prospective majors and minors to career prospects, role models, and applications of geoscience knowledge to tackle societal problems.

  1. An exposure module will focus on raising initial awareness that geoscience is an excellent career option for those interested in the Earth. The module will highlight geoscience as a possible career option by connecting the course subject to future job prospects.
  2. A concept module will take students through the process of applying specific scientific concepts covered in the introductory courses to solve societal problems that need specialist input from geoscientists. The module's structure will follow a review of the concept and then introduce and explain the applied problem using demonstrations, visualization tools, and active learning strategies.
  3. Two exploratory online modules designed for independent inquiry and discovery will be linked to specific lectures in the introductory courses and deployed digitally. The module structure will review the scientific concept, introduce an applied geological problem of societal relevance, and ask students to solve a relevant aspect of it through critical thinking or mathematics. Professional geoscientists will be profiled to demonstrate how the concepts are employed in their work and present role models.

Projects

Two service-learning projects will engage students at NVC and UTSA, including newly transferred students. They will involve three different student groups that represent increasing levels of geologic knowledge and service-learning experience, while decreasing the level of faculty involvement.

One community need will be addressed through two levels of service-learning projects. The community need is to create interpretative guides to fully capture and describe the natural environment contained in local and regional parks for the public good.

  • Service-learning project level 1: Student participants will coordinate with personnel from partner parks to propose, design, and implement a series of interpretative media projects (e.g., signs or displays, printed trail guides, or audio tours) for various points of interest.
  • Service-learning project level 2: Student participants will be involved in developing public lectures about partner parks for the community and guided tours to showcase key geological features on the parks.

Bridging Event

Toward the middle of each semester, a bridging event will connect NVC program participants to people and resources at UTSA. The event will highlight courses for the degree, opportunities for service-learning projects, research projects, internships, departmental scholarships as well as connect students to other undergraduate and graduate students to help build peer networks. Collectively, the event will help eliminate known stresses for transfer students shifting to new learning environments.

Outcomes

Outcomes for student participation include academic, professional, and personal development in a number of areas:

Academic

  • Geoscience concept application
  • Critical thinking
  • Public speaking
  • Campus resources

Professional

  • Project management
  • Field work and analysis
  • Communication

Personal

  • Teamwork and leadership
  • Problem solving
  • Networking
  • Sense of belonging in geoscience community

Disclaimer

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number 2119446. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.