Collaborative Research: EAGER: Advancing Pedagogy and Inclusivity through Multi-modal Upper Level Geophysics Education

如今，由于新冠肺炎大流行，人们需要灵活学习，以及需要动态的课程材料来吸引不同背景的学生并让他们茁壮成长，这对课堂构成了挑战。这一渴望启动了一项试点工作，为高级别地球物理课程开发研究性学习模块，可供全国各地的地球物理项目使用。在较高一级，用于教学和课程开发指南的资源较少，来自代表性不足群体的学生明显减少。这一渴望将探索如何实施高质量的教材，以创造一个更公平和包容的学习环境，可以建立学生的信心，让来自各种不同背景的学生取得成功。PI团队汇集了互补的学术专业知识，促进了一系列教学模块的创建，并促进了高级地球物理学生和STEM核心学科(如物理、数学和计算科学)学生之间的融合，这些学科是全球地震学的基础学科。该项目将设计多模式试点模块，内容包括(1)弹性动力学，(2)地震学和板块构造，以及(3)近地表地震学方法和应用于发达环境。这项工作有可能改变高级地球物理课程的传统教学机制，并被用作吸引未被充分代表的群体学习地球物理学的一种手段，否则他们可能不会将地球科学视为研究重点。该项目将结合翻转课程设计和掌握学习来帮助学生建立信心，材料的制作方式使其既适用于在线教学，也适用于现场教学。此外，该小组将通过编写传记来进一步发展包容性，传记中的科学家来自代表性不足的群体，将被直接纳入学习单元。试点模块将特别关注高级地球物理课程，以解决和支持从本科培训过渡到研究生院或地球科学专业工作的学生，从而将教学支持从较低级别扩展到较高级别地球物理教学。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Today, classrooms are challenged by the need for flexible learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic and for dynamic course materials that attract students from diverse backgrounds and allow them to thrive. This EAGER initiates a pilot effort to develop research-based learning modules for the upper level geophysics classes that can be used by geophysics programs across the country. At the upper level there are fewer resources for teaching and course development guides, and there is a notable drop off in students from underrepresented groups. This EAGER will explore how to implement high quality teaching materials to create a more equitable and inclusive learning environment that can build student confidence and allow students from a variety of diverse backgrounds to succeed. The PI team brings together complementary academic expertise facilitating the creation of a broad range of teaching modules and the convergence between upper level geophysics students and students in core STEM disciplines such as physics, mathematics, and computational science, which are fundamental disciplines on which global seismology relies.The project will design multimodal pilot modules on (1) Elastodynamics, (2) Seismology and Plate Tectonics, and (3) Near surface seismological methods and applications to the developed environment. The work has the potential to transform the traditional teaching mechanisms for upper level geophysics courses, and be used as a means to attract underrepresented groups to geophysics who may not have otherwise considered Earth science as a research focus. The project will incorporate flipped course design and mastery learning to help build student confidence, with the materials created in such a way that they are adaptable to both on-line and in-person teaching. In addition, the team will further develop inclusivity through the creation of biographies featuring scientists from underrepresented groups that will be incorporated directly into the learning modules. The pilot modules will specifically focus on upper level geophysics courses to address and support students transitioning from undergraduate training to graduate school or to professional work in the geosciences, thus extending the pedagogical support from lower level to upper level geophysics teaching.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.