257-11 Transforming Student Outcomes in Resource-Constrained Geoscience Programs: Evidence from a Competition-Embedded Training System (CETS)

Session: Diversifying Geoscience Education Across the Academic Playing Field: Using Creative Methods to Foster the Current and Next Generations of Geoscience Professionals (Posters)

Presenting Author:

Author:

Abstract:

Background: Facing stagnation in student outcomes (11% graduate pursuit, 65% non-core employment), a lower-tier geoscience program implemented CETS to overcome institutional constraints and below-average student entrance scores.

Intervention & Methodology: CETS integrates three pillars:

1.    Pre-Competition Skill Bootcamps: 120-hour intensive drills (e.g., thin-section analysis, geophysical software) bridging curricular gaps.

2.    Role-Specific Leadership Forging: Mandated role rotation (team leader/data interpreter/field coordinator) during national competitions (e.g.,AAPG- IBA).

3.    Industry-Coupled Problem Banks: Training using real-world datasets (e.g., oilfield logging curves, mine hazards) from industry partners.

Results:

·         Immediate Skill Gains: Competition team technical scores surged from 52% to 86% within 6 months.

·         Transformative Career Outcomes:

              Postgraduate admissions to top-5 Chinese geoscience programs doubled (10% to 20%).

              Core-sector employment with Fortune 500 firms (e.g., Sinopec, PetroChina) rose to 50% (from 30%).

              Employers reported CETS-trained hires solved problems 42% faster than peers.

·         Equalizing Effect: CETS participants achieved parity in geological mapping accuracy with elite university teams (e.g., China University of Petroleum) at national finals.

Significance: CETS demonstrates that strategic scaffolding—not initial student quality—is paramount for excellence. The model’s low cost (<$15,000 annually) and replicability offer a blueprint for resource-constrained institutions to achieve elite-level outcomes. Competition-simulated pressures were directly linked to career readiness by 88% of graduates, proving its efficacy in transforming student trajectories and mitigating systemic disadvantages.

Keywords: Geoscience Education, Competency-Based Training, Equity in STEM, Industry-Academia Collaboration, Student Transformation.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

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