Collaborative Research: Cyber Enabled Data and Modeling Driven Curriculum Modules for Hydrology Education

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This project is creating a new instructional strategy and new learning materials using data- and modeling-based modules that are enabling undergraduate students to better understand cause-effect relationships, form and test hypotheses, and learn how to integrate the latest tools for better understanding of hydrologic theory and processes. Collaborators at two research universities, a liberal arts college, and Chandler/Gilbert Community College are developing and testing the educational modules, and an editorial board comprising geosciences and engineering faculty from around the USA is supervising module development and formative evaluation. The project is creating an organized community of practice to develop, share, and publish data- and modeling-driven hydrology educational modules made available through the Science Education Research Center (SERC) website. This project is using a structured process of collaborative community curriculum development to bring together a core user community and design a system to meet the needs of a broad range of hydrology educators. It is rigorously assessing the effectiveness of the technology on students' learning outcomes by comparing traditional lecture-based instruction with data- and modeling-driven instruction designed to enhance hydrologic learning among students. This project is achieving a broad impact by piloting a model of community development, evaluation, and dissemination of hydrologic cyberlearning modules.