Curriculum Development for Interdisciplinary Field Courses in Environmental Geosciences

目前，用于培训环境科学家的跨学科、实地课程极为罕见；对于本科教育水平较低的学生来说，情况尤其如此。作为印第安纳大学新的环境科学(BSES)学士学位课程的一部分，将为环境科学家创建一门跨学科的实地课程(G329)，除了传统的地质学原理外，还将强调场地特征、水文地质学和生态系统分析。将通过修改现有的高级地质学研究课程(G429)创建第二个课程；修订后的课程(G429e)将包括环境组成部分，并更加强调地表地质学。这些新课程将利用位于蒙大拿州烟草根山脉的印第安纳大学地质野外站作为他们的教学基地。新课程将由教学练习、独立评估练习和期末学习区域项目组成。G329和G429e共同构成了面向来自其他经认证的学院和大学的学生的基于现场的教育序列。新课程的一个独特方面将是将仪表化示范分水岭用于教学目的。示范分水岭将包含最先进的监测设备，作为印第安纳大学、州和联邦机构以及当地水区和牧场主合作努力的一部分。为了确保课程材料的传播，我们建议对外部教职员工进行现场访问计划。

At the present time interdisciplinary, field-based, courses for the training of environmental scientists are extremely rare; this is particularly true for the lower level of undergraduate education. As part of the new Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science (BSES) program at Indiana University, an interdisciplinary field course for environmental scientists (G329) will be created that emphasizes site characterization, hydrogeology, and ecosystem analysis in addition to traditional geologic principles. A second course will be created through modification of an existing course for advanced geologic study (G429); the revised course (G429e) will include environmental components and place more emphasis on surficial geology. These new courses will utilize the Indiana University Geologic Field Station located in the Tobacco Root Mountains, Montana as their base for instruction. The new curriculum will consist of a combination of teaching exercises, independent evaluation exercises, and a Final Study Area project. Together, G329 and G429e constitute a sequence of field-based education open to students from other accredited colleges and universities. One unique aspect of the new curricula will be the utilization of an instrumented Demonstration Watershed for instructional purposes. The Demonstration Watershed will contain state-of-the-art monitoring equipment established as part of a cooperative effort involving Indiana University, State and Federal agencies, as well as the local water district and ranchers. In order to ensure dissemination of curricula materials we have proposed an on-site visitation program for external faculty members.