Dear Geoscience Education Researchers,

Adding to Helen King’s excellent news, we were also informed that our session titled “Research on Geoscience Teaching and Learning in Experiential Environments” will also be on the program at the 2008 GSA in Houston.  It will be Topical Session Number 187.  The deadline for abstracts is June 3rd . An outline of the session is given below.

Description for GSA Today:
Experiential learning environments (field and laboratory) occupy an important position in geoscience education.  This session highlights research advances in data-driven assessment of learning, problem solving, and curriculum design in field, laboratory, immersive or virtual settings.
 
Rationale:
Immersive instructional environments, in particular field and laboratory settings, are considered a critically important part of the education of geoscientists, as evidenced by their ubiquitous place in both undergraduate and graduate programs. Formal geoscience education research on student learning, problem solving, and cognition in experiential learning settings (field, laboratory, immersive or virtual environments) has advanced substantially in recent years. Research results have begun to influence the design of field and laboratory learning experiences as well as provide new methods of assessing student learning in these important settings. This session seeks to highlight research advances in curricular design, methods or results of assessment of student learning and/or problem-solving, and other data-driven assessment of teaching effectiveness that reaches well beyond a basic recounting of individual lessons, program structure or of evaluation only by student comments.  Geoscience education research in experiential environments is distinct from research in classroom instruction and is crucial to the continued growth of understanding of how to best educate geoscience students at all levels in instructional settings which define our science.


Please consider a submission to this session, and we’ll see you in Houston!

Eric Riggs and Joe Elkins

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Eric M. Riggs, Ph.D.
Co-Director, CRESME
Center for Research and Engagement in Science and
    Mathematics Education

Associate Professor, Departments of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
and Curriculum & Instruction
Director, Indigenous Earth Sciences Project

Purdue University
Felix Haas Hall, Suite 202
250 North University Street
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2066
CRESME: (765) 494-2781
Research Office: (765) 496-1974
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http://cresme.education.purdue.edu/
http://www.purdue.edu/eas/riggslab/
http://www.purdue.edu/eas/academic_programs/graduate/online_cd/geoscience_ed.htm
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                 - CRESME: New Equations for Excellence -
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