1. Collaborators on the Survey Design & Analysis and GER Project
Results from the Geoscience Education Research (GER) Grand Challenges Survey
Webinar
Thursday, June 22
11:00 AM Pacific | 12:00 PM Mountain | 1:00 PM Central | 2:00 PM Eastern
Webinar Leaders
Kristen St. John, James Madison University
Karen McNeal, Auburn University
Collaborators on the Survey Design & Analysis and GER Project
Kim Kastens, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University
Heather Macdonald, The College of William and Mary
John McDaris, Carleton College/SERC
The survey and this webinar are part of the project “A Framework for Transformative Geoscience Education Research” funded by the National Science Foundation through grant DUE

2. Presentation Overview
Kristen
Karen
Background
Defining GER
Motivation and Design of the GER Grand Challenges Survey
Results of the Survey
Respondents’ Roles and Training in GER
GER Theme Areas
Distribution of Interest
Important Developments
Future Research Priorities and Research Questions
Needs and Opportunities
Situating Results within a Broader Context and Next Steps
Use chat box to type in questions during presentation. Will address questions at speaker transitions and at end.

3. Defining Geoscience Education Research
Background
Defining Geoscience Education Research

4. Defining GER Geoscience Education Research SoTL DBER
Scholarship of [geoscience] Teaching and Learning
Developing, applying, and evaluating new teaching innovations and curricula to addresses
learning goals.
Discipline [geoscience] Based Education Research
Developing and testing research questions and hypotheses about teaching, learning, and ways of thinking in a discipline.
Important for Improving Teaching and Learning in Geoscience
Opportunities for Publications

5. Motivation and Design of the GER Grand Challenges Survey
Background
Motivation and Design of the
GER Grand Challenges Survey

6. Motivation for the GER Grand Challenges Survey
Wingspread Report (2003)  helped establish GER as a legitimate research field and pointed to driving research questions of that time.
Recent growth and interest in GER:
More (and more rigorous) geoscience education research articles
More GER graduate programs
More tenure-track faculty positions that seek geoscience education researchers
Formal professional society “home”  NAGT GER Division (2014)
Formal online GER “home”  NAGT GER landing page and GER Toolbox (2017)
Time to take stock of the current state of our research field and consider best course forward so that we can have the greatest collective impact on advancing teaching and learning in the geosciences for coming years.
GER Grand Challenges Survey  an important step in this effort.

7. Survey Design IRB compliant, participant consent
Characterize Respondents Background/Roles:
Geo-SoTL
Geo-DBER
Geo-Educators
Current Position
Training

8. Survey Design
Themes target GER on undergraduate teaching and learning. 
Themes were informed by:
DBER Report (Singer et al., 2012)
Focus group discussions at the 2015 GER workshop
Results from the 2016 GER Survey
Wingspread Report (Manduca et al., 2003)
Earth in Mind II Synthesis report (Kastens and Manduca, 2012),
Lewis and Baker (2010, JRST)
See an earlier iteration of this list in the GER Toolbox  Starting Point  Overview of GER Topics
4. Which of the GER themes below reflects your interest most strongly at this point in time? [select one]
Geoscience Education Research on:
Students' conceptual understanding of geology/solid Earth science content (e.g., misconceptions, how to teach particular concepts)
Students' conceptual understanding of environmental/ocean/atmosphere/climate content (e.g., misconceptions, how to teach particular concepts)
Elementary, middle, and secondary Earth science teacher education (i.e., working with teachers and future teachers in all settings)
Teaching about Earth in the context of societal problems (e.g., resource use and sustainability)
Access and success of under-represented groups in the geosciences (i.e., diversity, broadening participation)
Cognitive domain and problem solving in geoscience courses (e.g., quantitative reasoning, temporal reasoning, spatial reasoning, use of models)
Instructional strategies to improve geoscience learning in different settings and with different technologies (e.g., place-based instruction, teaching large lectures, online instruction)
Geoscience students' self-regulated learning/metacognition and affective domain (e.g., attitudes, motivations, values of students)
Institutional change and faculty professional development (e.g., geoscience programmatic change, TA training, faculty workshops)
Development and validation of instruments and surveys/use of valid and reliable research methodologies (i.e., best practices in geoscience education research design)

9. Survey Design Opportunity for written feedback on selected theme:
Important developments and recommended papers/reports
Important research questions, opportunities, and resource needs to address these research questions
Other themes not listed
Recommended papers/reports are not described in webinar, but have been made available to thematic working groups for Next Steps.

10. Questions?

11. Respondents’ Roles and Training in GER
Results
Respondents’ Roles and Training in GER

12. GER Survey Results: How respondents self-identify
66 responses
Geo-
SoTL
Geo-
DBER
Geo-
Educator

13. GER Survey Results: Most hold college or university faculty positions, but early career and other professionals also responded.
primarily includes researchers (no teaching load) or staff at non-academic institutions, and retired faculty.

14. GER Survey Results: Most are “Boundary-Crossers” into GER.
Yes
Graduate Training in GER? No

15. GER Themes: Highest Interest
Results
GER Themes: Highest Interest

16. GER Survey Results: GER respondents distributed among research areas
Which of the GER themes below reflects your interest most strongly at this point in time?
[select one]
Geoscience education research on:
Cognitive domain and problem solving
Instructional strategies in different settings and with different technologies
Students’ conceptual understanding of geology/solid Earth science content
Teaching about Earth in the context of societal problems
Students’ conceptual understanding of env/ocn/atm/climate content
Access and success of under-represented groups
Institutional change and faculty professional development
K-12 Earth science teacher education
Students’ self-regulated learning/metacognition and affective domain
Proposed “other” cross-cutting GER themes:
assessment, connections to STEM DBER, workforce development, advocacy/general pubic communication, funding, P&T.
Development and validation of instruments and surveys/methodologies

17. Results GER Themes: Important Developments,
Future Research Priorities and Research Questions
Notes: In responding about their high interest theme, respondent often referred to several other themes. Also, some respondent complete all parts of the follow-up questions and other only selected parts.

18. (e.g., quantitative, temporal, and spatial reasoning, use of models)
Research on: Cognitive domain and problem solving in geoscience courses
(e.g., quantitative, temporal, and spatial reasoning, use of models)
n=13
From Past
For Future
Important
Developments 
Research
Priorities 
Example
Research Questions
Advances in research on geo-spatial thinking, in part due to collaborations between geoscience education and cognitive science researchers
Model after geo-spatial thinking research success to advance other areas; delve into deeper questions on geo-spatial thinking
What is the specific role of spatial thinking and working memory to performance on geoscience learning and problem solving tasks?
Summit on Future of Undergraduate Geoscience Education (esp. inclusion of skill development, problem solving, habits of mind)
Map expert/novice differences to inform program design
What does expertise look like in the professional realm and how to we bring undergraduate and graduate students to that level?
Research on misconceptions (e.g., geology) prompted need to understand why
Identify differences within populations

19. Research on: Instructional strategies to improve geoscience learning in different settings and with different technologies (e.g., PBL, large/online courses)
n=10
From Past
For Future
Important
Developments 
Research
Priorities 
Example
Research Questions
Recognition of importance of GER by educators; translation of research into practice (reformed teaching methods)
Focus on syntheses and further strategies to reach all educators
Breadth of “active learning” instructional strategies for teaching in different situations; many tested in small settings
Evaluate in scaled-up environments; Examine different populations
How can active learning and place-based teaching strategies translate to larger or online classes? Why are field-based experiences so effective for student learning? Can this benefit translate to non-STEM majors?
Emerging accessibility to interactive online tools/facilities, including virtual and augmented reality.
Pace research to keep up with emerging technologies
How does the inclusion of [new] educational technology support students' understanding of complex, invisible, dynamic Earth systems?

20. Research on: Students' conceptual understanding of geology/solid Earth science content (e.g., misconceptions, how to teach particular concepts)
n=6
From Past
For Future
Important
Developments 
Research
Priorities 
Example
Research Questions
K-12 learning progressions
Explore use of learning progressions at undergrad level
What are the first order approximations of key geoscience models (e.g. plate tectonics) that capture the complexity of the system-level concepts while being simple enough for [intro] students to understand them?
Recognition of wide range of misconceptions
Further identification of misconceptions and cognitive barriers
What are underlying cognitive reasons that some topics are difficult to teach/misconceptions are difficult to change?
Validated ways of assessing: concept inventories
Expand assessment of student learning
How can we better test: What are the major factors that affect change? How does student performance change/improve with time?

21. Research on: Teaching about Earth in the context of societal problems
(e.g., resource use and sustainability)
n=8
From Past
For Future
Important
Developments 
Research
Priorities 
Example
Research Questions
Popular acceptance that global change is happening now and impacting societies
K-12 standards: Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
Explore use of similar transdisciplinary approach at UG level
Does targeted transdisciplinary UG education improve students' science literacy?
Specific curriculum: InTeGrate program
Evaluate the impact of societally relevant materials
Do student learning, attitudes and retention really improve with use of societally relevant materials?
Specific types of integrated science: Critical Zone science and Food-Energy-Water nexus
Focus study on specific integrated science areas
What are effective approaches for designing interventions to connect locally relevant sustainability issues to accurate scientific underpinnings?

22. Research on: Students' conceptual understanding of env/ocean/atm/climate content (e.g., misconceptions, how to teach particular concepts)
n=4
From Past
For Future
Important
Developments 
Research
Priorities 
Example
Research Questions
Diverse instructional strategies (e.g., Flipped classroom, peer instruction, place-base)
[Expand testing of instructional strategies that impact student learning/change]
Diverse scientific technologies for (studying and) teaching these topics
Responses didn't focus on students' conceptual understanding, rather focused on instructional strategies that we assume respondents think help with the instruction of the env/ocn/atm/climate concepts.

23. Research on: Access and success of under-represented groups in the geosciences (i.e., diversity, broadening participation)
n=6
From Past
For Future
Important
Developments 
Research
Priorities 
Example
Research Questions
Growing interest in community to explore the issues
How do we change the culture of current geoscience programs to be more welcoming and inclusive?
Recognition that field-based aspects of geoscience may not be as much of an enticement into the discipline for URG
How do we re-assess what we mean by success in order to address the non-academic variables that influence success?
Successful programs and funding that aim to bolster diversity in our profession (e.g. NSF OEDG, NSF INCLUDES, GeoFORCE, Minority Participation Program)
Further rigorous analysis of what works and what doesn’t; Address scaling
What are the programs that are the most effective and are they scalable?

24. Research on: Institutional change and faculty professional development
(e.g., geoscience programmatic change, TA training, faculty workshops)
n=3
From Past
For Future
Important
Developments 
Research
Priorities 
Example
Research Questions
The important role that professional development plays in strengthening sense of “community” in geosciences and in GER and translating results into practice.
Determine role of PD in evolving the academic culture
Does faculty professional development match/change geo/STEM cultural values? How we get all faculty (e.g., our colleagues) involved in PD?
Importance of holistic faculty PD focused on all aspects of a faculty's career not only teaching
Determine and evaluate multiple metrics of success
How do we measure success?
Importance of PD in bringing geoscience content to places it may not have otherwise (e.g., non-geoscience programs)
Broaden participation in PD and post-PD mentoring
Are our PD approaches inclusive to the benefit of all faculty (e.g., adjuncts)?
No responses that addressed TA training

25. Research on: Elementary, middle, and secondary Earth science teacher education (i.e., working with teachers and future teachers in all settings)
n=2
From Past
For Future
Important
Developments 
Research
Priorities 
Example
Research Questions
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
Optimize pre-service teacher courses that include NGSS
How to best integrate NGSS into courses for pre-service teachers?
Geosciences not part of HS high stakes testing
Determine K-12 administrators’ perceptions of Earth sciences
What perception do members of state education departments and school district superintendents have of the importance of K-12 Earth science education in the lives of high school graduates in their state?

26. Research on: Geoscience students' self-regulated learning/metacognition and affective domain (e.g., attitudes, motivations, values of students)
n=3
From Past
For Future
Important
Developments 
Research
Priorities 
Example
Research Questions
STEM DBER researchers have spent much of the last 30 years adjusting instruction. Ed psych literature suggests we also need to address student learning processes.
Widen scope to embrace more ed psych findings
Affect and emotion can serve as drivers to encourage students to consider becoming geoscience majors.
Examine role of affect and emotion in geo-workforce development
How does student persistence in geoscience relate to their choices about learning?
Self-regulation strategies can help students learn content more effectively and to develop transferable skills that will help them throughout their university experience.
Examine self-regulation in the novice-expert continuum
What does the process map look like for shifting someone from a novice self-regulator to an expert self-regulator?

27. Questions?

28. GER Themes: Needs and Opportunities
Results
GER Themes: Needs and Opportunities

29. GER Survey Results: Most needs and opportunities cut-across themes.
Need: Greater awareness and collaborations
To be more aware of findings in other STEM DBER fields and in educational literature outside of standard STEM disciplines (e.g., cognitive science, ed psychology etc.)
To know who is doing what. Efficient and effective forms of and opportunities for collective discussions.
Need: Grounding research in theories and strengthen research design/assessment
Greater development of widely applicable assessments, instruments, and tools. Including an array of tools and approaches to teaching geoscientific thinking; valid, reliable instruments for assessing students' geoscientific thinking skills.
Substantial testing of theory-informed designs in classes, workshops, and seminar settings to build up a body of evidence that can lead to best practices.
Training/PD for researchers to further develop skills in designing DBER projects and in using new research tools/technologies.

30. GER Survey Results: Most needs and opportunities cut-across research themes.
Need: Expand the scope and scale of studies
More opportunities to study the long term impacts of different approaches/programs (e.g., online courses for subject matter retention) at multi-institutions.
To identify innovation that work and scale up/expand.
Greater funding for geoscience education/geoscience education research overall, and for supplemental grants for GER to existing programs
Need: More/better data collection and sharing
[In 2016 survey, data repository was a high ranking need]

31. GER Survey Results: Most needs and opportunities cut-across research themes.
Opportunity: To examine what propelled some well established research themes forward, and use as models for themes that are less well developed.
Some factors that help move research in a theme forward: dedicated group of people working topics in that areas; group is well connected via professional societies (NAGT) and resources (SERC); well connected to cognitive psychologists and education researchers; and funding opportunities exist that encourage collaboration among geoscientists, education researchers, psychologists, and DBER faculty.
Opportunity: Learning Management Systems are evolving rapidly, especially in the accessibility and usefulness of learning analytics data of all kinds. Can be used to measure students' knowledge, skills, attitudes, beliefs before, during and after class.
These data need to be collected and mined.
Need examples (i.e. precedent) of instructors making effective AND efficient use of learning analytics data to adjust, optimize, and enhance learning and assessment strategies that occur entirely online. Especially when these involve peer interactions, peer instruction and peer assessments.
Other needs and opportunities specific to themes will be shared with thematic working groups at the EER
GER workshop in July

32. Situating GER Results within a Broader Context

33. Broader Context: the STEM-DBER Alliance (DBER-A)
Vision: Community organization to address complex, cross-cutting research questions that can best be understood and addressed with theories that transcend disciplines.
Focus on undergraduate learning and teaching
Nov 2016 and May 2017 organizational workshops
Join the STEM DBER Alliance by completing a quick google form: goo.gl/oECkXG
Figure from the 2017 DBER-A- flyer:

34. Next Steps

35. Next steps in identifying and prioritizing GER Grand Challenges and recommending strategies to address them
GER Grand Challenges workshop with working group for each theme; GER and Practice Forum
Part of NSF project “A Framework for Transformative GER”
GER Grand Challenges Town Hall on working group recommendations: review and feedback
Draft white paper; Online open comment period
Revise and finalize white paper
GER Grand Challenges survey
This webinar
April
2017
June
2017
July
2017
August
2017
October
2017
November
2017
December
2017
January
2018
EER GER Methods workshop, Translating GER into Practice workshop
JGE Editorial on DBER-A
NAGT GER Division Session #113
JGE GER theme issue
Related GER/DEBR Activities

36. Questions?
Continue discussions online – comment field will be included with recorded webinar;
and
at the Earth Educators’ Rendezvous, and
at GSA GER Session and GER Town Hall.
T113. Geoscience Education Research: Implications for Undergraduate Geoscience Teaching and Learning