1. This work is supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) collaboration between the
Directorates for Education and Human Resources (EHR) and Geosciences (GEO) under grant DUE - 1125331
Creating Curricula for a Sustainable Future:
A Team-based, Rubric-supported Approach
Anne E. Egger, Central Washington University
Hannah Scherer, Virginia Tech
Transforming STEM Higher Education
AAC&U Meeting; Atlanta, GA
November 7, 2014
2. Who are you?
• Find three other people in the room who are here for
similar reasons as you. You might ask questions like:
– Are you interested in redesigning your own course based on a
rubric?
– Are you an administrator interested in promoting curricular
redesign?
– Or perhaps simply: Why are you here?
• Once you find your new friends, you’ll tell us why your
group is here.
3. A 5-year community effort to improve Earth
literacy and build a workforce prepared to
tackle environmental and resource issues
NSF’s STEP Center in the Geosciences
InTeGrate supports integrated interdisciplinary learning
about resource and environmental issues across the
undergraduate curriculum to create a sustainable and just
civilization.
What is InTeGrate?
4. A systems model for
transformation of
individuals, institutions,
and the geoscience
community
Courses Programs/
Institutions
Community/
Network
5. Preparing students for the future
Curricular materials that …
• Engage all students in a variety of settings
• Address grand challenges society is facing
• Use rigorous science
• Use best practices in learning
• Are adaptable and adoptable by instructors
How do we ensure that all of these conditions are
met in the materials we develop?
6. 1. Design of development teams
• Three instructors from three different
institutions
• Assessment consultant
• Web consultant
• Team leader
7. 2. Goals are encoded in a materials
design rubric
• Guiding Principles
• Learning Objectives
and Outcomes
• Assessment and
Measurement
• Resources and
Materials
• Instructional Strategies
• Alignment
Guiding principles (Must score 15/15) Points Score
Course/module addresses one or more geoscience-related grand challenges facing
society 3
Course/module develops student ability to address interdisciplinary problems 3
Course/module improves student understanding of the nature and methods of
geoscience and developing geoscientific habits of mind 3
Course/module makes use of authentic and credible geoscience data to learn central
concepts in the context of geoscience methods of inquiry 3
Course/module incorporates systems thinking 3
Learning objectives (Must score 13/15)
Learning objectives describe measureable geoscience literacy goals 3
Instructions and/or rubrics provide guidance for how students meet learning goals 3
Learning objectives and goals are appropriate for the intended use of the
course/module 3
Learning objectives and goals are clearly stated for each module in language suitable for
the level of the students 3
Learning objectives and goals address the process and nature of science and
development of scientific habits of mind 3
Assessment and Measurement (Must score 13/15)
Assessments measure the learning objectives 3
Assessments are criterion referenced 3
Assessments are consistent with course activities and resources expected 3
Assessments are sequenced, varied and appropriate to the content 3
Assessments address goals at successively higher cognitive levels 3
Resources and Materials (Must score 15/18)
Instructional materials contribute to the stated learning objectives 3
Students will recognize the link between the learning objectives, goals and the learning
materials 3
Instructional materials should be sufficiently diverse and at the depth necessary for
students to achieve learning objectives and goals 3
Materials are appropriately cited 3
Instructional materials are current 3
Instructional materials and the technology to support these materials are clearly stated 3
Instructional Strategies (Must score 13/15)
Learning strategies and activities support stated learning objectives and goals 3
Learning strategies and activities promote student engagement with the materials 3
Learning activities develop student metacognition 3
Learning strategies and activities provide opportunities for students to practice
communicating geoscience 3
Learning strategies and activities scaffold learning 3
Alignment (Must score 5/6)
Teaching materials, assessments, resources and learning activities align with one
another 3
All aspects of the module/course are aligned 3
Total 84
8. Guiding principles
• Address one or more geoscience-related grand
challenges facing society
• Develop student ability to address interdisciplinary
problems
• Improve student understanding of the nature and
methods of geoscience and developing geoscientific
habits of mind
• Make use of authentic and credible geoscience data to
learn central concepts in the context of geoscience
methods of inquiry
• Develop students’ ability and propensity to use systems
thinking
geoscientific thinking skills
9. The Rest of the Rubric
• Drawn from high-impact practices and
research on learning
• Based on a backward design model
– Learning objectives and outcomes
– Assessment and measurement
– Resources and materials
– Instructional Strategies
– Alignment
14. Module development: objectives
Students build earth systems thinking
by
● Examining landscapes & geospatial
figures
● Evaluating soil properties
● Using technology (SoilWeb™)
● Forecasting climate change impacts
on regional agriculture
● Proposing solutions to meet local soil
resource challenges
Compare soil porosity &
permeability before & after
15. Module development: pedagogy
● Practicing geoscience
communication
o Think-Pair-Share
o JigSaw
o Small Group
Collaboration
o Fact Sheet
● Scaffolding
● Working with authentic
data
● Constructivist/
active learning
classroom
16. Summative Assessment: Fact
sheet!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
SOIL!EROSION!
CLIMATE(CHANGE
To keep your waterways clean!
Recharge groundwater for instead of contributing to runoff!
Conserve soil to be used in agriculture and food production!
Take care of our planet!
For more information please check out
http://www.ext.vt.edu!!!!!!!!!!!or!!!!!!!www.usgs.gov!!!!!!!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
905530712!
905608652!
905502789!
!
905547951!
!
!
!
Feasibility!of!Reducing!Erosion!in!Your!
Community!
Reducing erosion in your community
can be done by following the
recommendations here, and by consulting
local specialists, but the feasibility of each
recommendation depends on your own
situation. Here are some things to keep in
mind: when you improve the actual
structure of soil so that the plant’s roots
become healthier you can improve water
infiltration which results in higher crop
yields, even when faced with drought. This
is feasible for smaller farms with the use
of on-farm composting, but if you are a
larger operation you might have to partner
with a composting company. Adding cover
crops during the winter months can also
add to the organic matter in the soil. This
practice is very easy, but will cost money in
those months where revenues are lower.
Another note is that the slope gradient and
length of that slope on your land will affect
the erosivity of the soil. The steeper the
slope of your field the more erosive your
soil is likely to be due to gravity contributing
to the other erosivity factors. Splitting up
fields into smaller ones can reduce slope
and erosivity, but might not be feasible for
all farms. While the field setup might not be
changeable, the amount of vegetation can
also increase or decrease erosivity. The
more vegetation you have, especially along
waterways, the less soil erosion you will
have. Similarly, decreasing the use of
heavy machinery in agriculture is difficult,
as machinery is required in most highly
efficient, abundant agriculture systems
which are responsible for feeding much of
the world’s population. Major infrastructure
changes are possible, but will take time to
implement. Educational programs to spread
this knowledge are also possible, though
time consuming. Irrigation is less feasible,
as it is expensive and is simply depriving
another area of water instead of truly fixing
the problem.
!
!
SOIL!SUSTAINABILITY!IS!WHEN!YOU!WORK!WITH!THE!NATURAL!PROCESSES!
TO!ACHIEVE!A!DESIRED!OUTCOME!FOR!THE!QUALITY!OF!SOIL!AND!
CONTINUE!TO!KEEP!A!HIGH!QUALITY!INTO!THE!FUTURE.!SOME!OF!THESE!
PROCESSES!INCLUDE!REDUCING!TILLAGE,!IMPROVING!CROP!ROTATIONS,!
AND!PLANTING!COVER!CROPS!AND!AUGMENTING!SOIL!WITH!ORGANIC!
MATTER!SUCH!AS!COMPOST!TO!IMPROVE!QUALITY.!SOIL!SUSTAINABILITY!IS!
INFLUENCED!BY!SOIL!DEGRADATION!FROM!VARIOUS!FACTORS!SUCH!AS!
FARMING!PRACTICES,!NATURAL!SOIL!EROSION!AND!CLIMATE!CHANGE.!
FOOD!SECURITY,!SECURE!WATER!SUPPLIES,!AND!BIODIVERSITY!
CONSERVATION!RESTS!ON!THE!FOUNDATION!OF!DEVELOPING!HEALTHY!
AND!SUSTAINABLE!SOIL!FOR!OUR!EARTH,!MAKING!SOIL!SUSTAINABILITY!A!
PRIORITY!IN!AGRICULTURE!TODAY.!
!
RAINFALL!IN!MANY!HIGHLY!PRODUCTIVE!AGRICULTURAL!AREAS,!SUCH!AS!
THE!MIDWESTERN!US,!IS!EXPECTED!TO!DECREASE!DUE!TO!CLIMATE!
CHANGE.!ALTHOUGH!LESS!PRECIPITATION!INITIALLY!MEANS!LESS!WATER!
WASHING!AWAY!SOIL,!CLIMATE!CHANGE!WILL!EVENTUALLY!INCREASE!
EROSION!RATES!IN!KEY!AGRICULTURAL!AREAS.!LESS!MOISTURE!
COMPROMISES!SOIL!INTEGRITY!AND!DECREASES!CROP!YIELDS,!LEADING!TO!
DECREASED!ABILITY!TO!ABSORB!RAIN!WATER,!INCREASING!RUNOFF!AND!
EROSION!RATES.!PRECIPITATION!INCREASES,!SUCH!AS!ARE!EXPECTED!IN!THE!
EASTERN!US,!WILL!INCREASE!EROSION!MORE!IMMEDIATELY!BY!FREQUENT,!
HEAVY!RAINS!CONTACTING!THE!SOIL.!SLOWING!THE!WORLD^WIDE!
PHENOMENON!OF!CLIMATE!CHANGE!IS!DIFFICULT;!HOWEVER,!DECREASING!
GREENHOUSE!GAS!EMISSIONS!BY!LIMITING!AGRICULTURAL!MACHINERY!
AND!GENERAL!VEHICLE!AND!FOSSIL!FUEL!USE!IN!ALL!INDUSTRIES!COULD!
HELP.!USING!COVER!CROPS!TO!IS!A!POTENTIAL!METHOD!FOR!MANAGING!
CLIMATE!CHANGE!EFFECTS!BY!BOLSTERING!CROP!YIELDS!AND!SOIL!
NUTRIENTS!AND!MOISTURE!
!
EROSIVITY!CAN!BE!DEFINED!AS!SOIL!DETACHING!OR!CRUMBLING!OFF!OF!
ITSELF.!A!GOOD!WAY!TO!MANAGE!YOUR!EROSION!RATES!AND!ALLOW!WATER!
TO!REACH!YOUR!PLANTS!ROOTS!IS!TO!HAVE!HIGH!ORGANIC!MATTER!
CONTENT!IN!YOUR!SOIL.!ORGANIC!MATTER!IS!ONCE!LIVING!MATTER!SUCH!AS!
COMPOST.!COMPOST!IS!A!SIMPLE!WAY!TO!ADD!ORGANIC!MATTER!TO!YOUR!
SOILS!TEXTURE!AND!CREATE!A!MORE!FERTILE!AND!LESS!EROSIVE!FARM.!
ACROSS!SLOPE!TILLING!INSTEAD!OF!DOWN!THE!SLOPE!AND!AVOIDING!BARE!
SOIL!ARE!TWO!ADDITIONAL!WAYS!TO!MITIGATE.!!!
17. Summative assessment:
evaluation
Degree to which assessment reflects …
Module Learning Goals
Fact Sheet
Assignment
…ability to use geological data to develop a plan for sustainable soil
management in one or more agricultural settings.
2.5
…ability to predict agricultural challenges that might result from climate change
using systems thinking.
2.5
InTeGrate Guiding Principles
… competence explaining one or more geoscience-related grand challenges
facing society .
3
… ability to address interdisciplinary problems. 2.5
… the nature and methods of geoscience and developing geoscientific habits of
mind.
2.5
… use of authentic and credible geoscience data to learn central concepts in the
context of geoscience methods of inquiry.
3
… ability to incorporate systems thinking. 2.5
18. Summative assessment:
evaluation
Degree to which assessment reflects …
Module Learning Goals
Fact Sheet
Assignment
Student
Work
…ability to use geological data to develop a plan for sustainable soil
management in one or more agricultural settings.
2.5 2
…ability to predict agricultural challenges that might result from climate change
using systems thinking.
2.5 2
InTeGrate Guiding Principles
… competence explaining one or more geoscience-related grand challenges
facing society .
3 3
… ability to address interdisciplinary problems. 2.5 2.5
… the nature and methods of geoscience and developing geoscientific habits of
mind.
2.5 2
… use of authentic and credible geoscience data to learn central concepts in the
context of geoscience methods of inquiry.
3 2
… ability to incorporate systems thinking. 2.5 1.5
19. Technical review and revisions:
improvements to module
(SoilWeb:
http://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/)
Authentic data
(Pruski, and Nearing, 2002)
Systems
thinking
(Wilkinson and McElroy, 2007)
Local context
21. In your like-minded groups:
• How do you envision using faculty teams
and/or the rubric in your setting?
• What adaptations would you make?
• Be prepared to report out in 20 minutes.
26. Impact of Corrective Actions
2012 Teams (6) 2013-14 Teams (11)
50%
55%
60%
65%
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
95%
100%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Average Rubric Element Scores
1 Grand Challenges
2 Interdisciplinary
3 Nature of Science
4 Data driven
5 System Thinking
6 Geoscience Outcomes
7 Grading Rubrics
8 Learning Outcomes (LO)
9 Understandable LO's
10 Scientific Habits Mind
11 Assessments for LO's
12 Critereon Referenced
13 LO's Consistent with Course
14 LO's Sequenced and Varied
15 Multiple Cognitive Levels
16 Materials Support Goals
17 Materials Link
18 Diverse Acitivites
19 References
20 Current
21 Technology States
22 Mutitple Learning Strategies
23 Student Engagement
24 Metacognition
25 Communicating Science
26 Scaffold Learning
27 Materials Align
28 Module Segments Align
27. Other projects have adopted it
• GETSI (Geodesy Tools for Societal
Issues): modified guiding principles slightly
to focus on geodesy
• GeoPRISMS mini-lessons
28. Get involved
• Sign up for InTeGrate email news and
updates
• Consider proposing an implementation
program
• Express interest in (and come to!) the
Earth Educators’ Rendezvous
Editor's Notes
2017 vision document lays out a comprehensive vision for what transformative change is. These three ideas summarize and gloss over much of what is in there – we can look at that in more detail if you want.
Six modules that have gone all the way through this process. Hannah is going to talk about one of them
The survival of humanity is dependent on sustainably managing natural resources.. Agricultural land use covers most of our earth’s land surface & supplies food & fiber to growing populations. Continued agricultural productivity and the ability to feed the earth’s growing population hinges on understanding how to manage these resources using a systems approach
Students examine the differences between intensively managed agricultural landscapes (e.g. grazelands, conventional tillage) and forested or natural vegetative types, investigate physical and chemical properties of soil, work with geospatial data, and utilize systems thinking to consider the broader impacts of climate change on land management decisions.
An active learning environment allowed students to
Development of learning activities was guided by a constructivist epistemology, which emphasizes the role of the learner in creating their own knowledge and acknowledges the role of previous knowledge in this process.
soil properties that sustain us are threatened by climate change & agricultural erosion, systems knowledge required to propose solutions
**Maybe an example slide to proceed this, e.g. the picture of the mountains vs. ag lands & which landscape results in more erosion.
Summative fact sheets build from all five Growing Concern Units:
characterize local soil properties important to fertility,
discuss regional erosion rates,
describe the predicted effects of climate change on erosion rates in your region,
make recommendations for agricultural practices that can be used to mitigate soil loss both today and in the future
This is the data from the Assessment team’s evaluation of our fact sheet. It shows that our Fact Sheet reflects the module goals and the integrate principles to a high degree (rubric is out of 3). The student work scored a bit lower, particularly in the systems thinking, geoscience methods, and use of geoscience data. Units were revised to address this
This is the data from the Assessment team’s evaluation of our fact sheet. It shows that our Fact Sheet reflects the module goals and the integrate principles to a high degree (rubric is out of 3). The student work scored a bit lower, particularly in the systems thinking, geoscience methods, and use of geoscience data. Units were revised to address this
Evaluation of the module summative assessment shows that student work addressed stated module learning goals, but that some had difficulty independently utilizing and interpreting site-specific geological data and applying systems thinking to a complex problem. The module has been revised to address these challenges
promoting students skilled in analyzing authentic local and geospatial data and using systems-thinking.
We structured the initial materials development meeting around the rubric. Each session had time for developers to discuss elements and how they would address each standard. Assessment consultants and leadership facilitated.
Here I think we can demonstrate that change.
We saw a need for professional development seminars to address known weak areas.
