Aligning Learning Outcomes and Workforce Competencies for Terminal Geography and Geology Master?s Degree Programs

调整最终地理学和地质学硕士学位课程的学习成果和劳动力能力

• 批准号: 1202707
• 负责人: Heather Houlton
• 金额: $ 10.98万
• 依托单位: American Geological Institute
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-09-01 至 2015-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1202707&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Aligning; Learning; Outcomes; Workforce; Competencies

The American Geological Institute (AGI) and the Association of American Geographers (AAG) are conducting a survey of 50 different terminal Geography and Geology master's degree programs in an effort to determine the types of competencies taught and developed in graduate curricula (including internships and related professional training experiences). The results are being compared to the outcomes of recent workforce studies conducted by AGI, AAG, and other organizations that indicate the skills qualifications that geoscience employers seek for entry-level positions across the public and private sectors. Through this research, the project is developing resources and toolkits that can help academic programs better align curricula and advising practices with workforce demands.The surveys developed for this project build directly on prior work by AGI and AAG to create conceptually valid measures of professional competencies and studies of industry trends in the geosciences. In practical terms, the results can be used to assist Geography and Geology terminal master's programs by providing them with additional approaches to assess learning outcomes in relation to workforce demands. This is an important issue for all graduate programs, but especially for terminal master's programs for which little is known empirically about curricula, students' career paths, and advising and mentoring practices by faculty. As the graduate degree for most entry-level professional careers in geology and geography, a focus on master's education is needed as part of a broader engagement by AGI, AAG and their sister organizations to address future workforce needs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) geoscience careers.This project is expected to improve the preparation of the STEM workforce in broad geoscience fields by providing information that can be used to guide students in their selection of academic courses and other educational experiences that will equip them with the competencies they need for entry-level positions. By establishing and enhancing dialogues and relationships between academic programs and employer organizations, the project may also communicate the value of academic and professional training in the geosciences for work in various public and private sector careers. Although this is conceived as a pilot project focusing on geography and geology programs, there is potential for future expansion to other sub-fields through partnership with other professional societies and academic programs in the geosciences.

美国地质学会（AGI）和美国地理学家协会（AAG）正在对50个不同的终端地理和地质硕士学位课程进行调查，以确定研究生课程（包括实习和相关专业培训经验）中教授和开发的能力类型。这些结果与AGI，AAG和其他组织最近进行的劳动力研究结果进行了比较，这些研究表明地球科学雇主在公共和私营部门寻求入门级职位的技能资格。通过这项研究，该项目正在开发资源和工具包，可以帮助学术课程更好地调整课程和建议实践与劳动力需求。该项目开发的调查直接建立在AGI和AAG之前的工作基础上，以创建概念上有效的专业能力衡量标准和地球科学行业趋势研究。在实践中，结果可以用来帮助地理和地质终端硕士课程，为他们提供额外的方法来评估学习成果的劳动力需求。这对于所有研究生课程来说都是一个重要问题，尤其是对于终末硕士课程来说，因为根据经验，对课程、学生的职业道路以及教师的建议和指导实践知之甚少。作为地质学和地理学大多数入门级专业职业的研究生学位，需要将硕士教育作为AGI，AAG及其姐妹组织更广泛参与的一部分，以满足未来科学，技术，工程与数学（STEM）该项目预计将通过提供以下信息来改善广泛的地球科学领域的STEM劳动力的准备，这些工具可用于指导学生选择学术课程和其他教育经验，使他们具备初级职位所需的能力。通过建立和加强学术课程和雇主组织之间的对话和关系，该项目还可以传达地球科学学术和专业培训对各种公共和私营部门职业工作的价值。虽然这被认为是一个试点项目，重点是地理和地质方案，有潜力的未来扩展到其他子领域，通过与其他专业协会和学术计划在地球科学的伙伴关系。