| NSF Org: |
RISE Integrative and Collaborative Education and Research (ICER) |
| Recipient: |
|
| Initial Amendment Date: | September 2, 2015 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | September 2, 2015 |
| Award Number: | 1540559 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Brandon Jones
mbjones@nsf.gov (703)292-4713 RISE Integrative and Collaborative Education and Research (ICER) GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | September 15, 2015 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2020 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $143,986.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $143,986.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
|
| History of Investigator: |
|
| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1100 N GRAND AVE WALNUT CA US 91789-1341 (909)274-5417 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
|
| Primary Place of Performance: |
1100 N Grand Ave Walnut CA US 91789-1399 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
|
| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
|
| Parent UEI: |
|
| NSF Program(s): | IUSE |
| Primary Program Source: |
|
| Program Reference Code(s): | |
| Program Element Code(s): |
|
| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.050 |
ABSTRACT
Preparing a future workforce in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines is vital to the economic prosperity of our nation. In light of an aging geoscience workforce that exhibits a lack of ethnic diversity when compared with other STEM fields, the geoscience community must develop new models of mentorship for pre-career and early career personnel to build and sustain the skills, diversity, and size of the workforce. Existing STEM retention and diversity programs have recognized access to field and professional experiences as critical to helping students identify as scientists, form networks, and gain important skills necessary for employment in a variety of public and private sectors. The goal of this project is to engage a diverse cohort of Environmental-STEM (ESTEM) track undergraduates at 4-year colleges and universities (4YCUs) and community colleges (2YCs) in hands-on, career-applicable experiences that will launch students into the geoscience workforce.
This project reimagines the traditional geology field course as a professional development experience to address the emergence of new "environmental" geoscience tracks at many 4YCUs. Faculty from the University of San Francisco, Mount San Antonio College, and the College of the Atlantic are working with environmental geoscience professionals from academia, public agencies, consulting, and non-profit organizations to identify key geoscience career skills and develop a "badge" system to recognize mastery of these skills. A summer field course and post-field seminar provides participating undergraduate students with opportunities to engage with stakeholders, learn and practice skills in the pursuit of earning badges. Further, this program is demonstrating the potential uses of a new technology (digital badges) for student assessment. Badges create space for dialog between students, faculty, and stakeholders and are adaptable and accessible by all students, not just those able or apt to participate in a given program. Badges also enable transparent documentation of skill mastery for students and employers, providing a new way for students to understand and market the skills, competencies, concepts, and learning outcomes (SCCLs) gained through environmental geoscience courses. Assessments are being used to ensure alignment of stakeholder-identified skills, badges, and field curriculum, and address the efficacy of the program in student retention in the geoscience pipeline. With a new model of field course that targets environmental geoscience students, engages stakeholders in the field, and unites a diverse group of learners through institutional collaboration, this program serves as a model for geoscience professional development at the undergraduate level. Lessons learned through this project are being made accessible to the wider community through webinars, workshops, and a project website.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The Environmental Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (E-STEM) program was a field and professional development experience designed to address the impending shortage of geoscience professionals by reimagining a traditional geology field course as a professional development experience. To that end, in 2017 and 2018, 39 students from two 4-year institutions (College of the Atlantic (COA) and University of San Francisco (USF)) and one 2-year institution (Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC)) participated in a summer field and professional development course in the Sierra Nevadas and Owens Valley, CA. Students completed a series of botany, hydrology, geomorphology, and geology field projects and engaged with local environmental professionals (stakeholders) from academia, public agencies, consulting firms, and non-profit organizations. Students completed surveys before and after the field course to self-assess their proficiency with a variety of field skills; attitudes toward, knowledge of, and interest in environmental careers; level of concern related to environmental challenges; and level of concern about personal career plans and/or employment prospects. Student work was assessed in 2017 using Field Notes and Mapping rubrics that we developed for the course. In 2018, Hydrology Methods and Ecology Methods rubrics were added to evaluate student work. Upon the conclusion of the field program, each institution implemented professional development activities for E-STEM alumni and others, ranging from professional development seminar courses (COA, USF) to CV/REU/transfer workshops (Mt. SAC.)
Assessment and evaluation efforts led by the Science Education Research Center (SERC, Carleton College) indicate statistically significant changes in students? self-reported proficiency for the majority of the 15 field skills surveyed before and after the field course. Student assignments from early, middle, and later portions of the field program were assessed using the E-STEM rubrics to investigate the development of their work over time. Student scores showed improvement over time in mapping skills (map elements, thoroughness and legibility, map accuracy, and justification of interpretation) and field notes (interpretation, usefulness of field notes for interpretation, figures, and data.) Students reported statistically significant changes in agreement with the following career-related statements: ?I know several people who work in the environmental field?; ?I have a good understanding of what my career options are within the environmental field?; ?I have a good understanding of the classes I need to take in order to qualify for jobs in which I am interested?; and ?I have a good understanding of the specific degree that I need to qualify for jobs in which I am interested.? The majority of the E-STEM alumni from 2017 and 2018 are currently pursuing undergraduate/graduate degrees in E-STEM disciplines or have entered the workforce in the environmental sector. E-STEM program development, curriculum, stakeholder engagement, and assessment and evaluation results were disseminated over the life of the program via oral and poster presentations at local, regional, and national scientific meetings. In addition, the E-STEM program webpage went live in fall 2020.
The project outcomes which address the broader impacts of the E-STEM program include:
(1) Increased participation of individuals and institutions in STEM through a new model of field course which fosters increased partnerships between academic, industry, and public organizations.
(2) Enhanced infrastructure for assisting students and educators in articulating skill and content knowledge acquisition.
(3) A diverse group of 39 undergraduates, many of whom are members of societal groups historically underrepresented in STEM, participated in an environmental field and professional development program.
(4) Students expanded their awareness of traditional and nontraditional career options in the environmental sector and the skills and content knowledge beneficial in preparing for these careers by interacting with local environmental professionals (stakeholders) in the field, completing an E-STEM career portfolio, and participating in post-field professional development activities.
(5) Students began to develop professional networks in the community prior to transfer and/or transition to the workforce.
(6) E-STEM faculty conducted reconnaissance, designed new environmental field activities, and modified existing field activities in the Sierra Nevadas and Owens Valley. Field project topics included geology (soil stratigraphy, sediment stratigraphy, bedrock mapping, bedrock stratigraphy); geomorphology (landform identification using topographic maps and remotely sensed data, glacial moraine mapping and relative dating, fluvial geomorphic mapping, tectonic geomorphology); hydrology (introduction to discharge and baseflow, field measurement of discharge and baseflow, groundwater potentiometric surfaces, stream discharge and sediment transport); and botany (botanical field observations, botanical transect mapping, bedrock and vegetation mapping.)
(7) E-STEM faculty developed relationships with local environmental professionals (stakeholders) at the Mammoth Community Water District, Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory, National Park Service, US Geological Survey, and Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory and worked with these agencies to infuse a professional development component into the field program.
(8) E-STEM faculty developed, tested, and refined assessment rubrics (Mapping, Field Notes, Hydrology Methods, and Ecology Methods) to assess student work and document student skills acquisition.
(9) E-STEM faculty designed and implemented post-field professional development activities at their home institutions.
Last Modified: 11/29/2020
Modified by: Rebecca Walker
Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.
