286-1 New materials for introductory Earth science courses designed to foster an equitable learning environment

Session: Balancing Tradition and Innovation: Evolving Geoscience Curricula for a Changing World, Part II

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Introductory Earth science courses at the undergraduate level have the potential to be profound experiences in which students are engaged actively in scientific practices and develop their identities as scientists. Students’ experiences in these courses strongly influence their persistence in science. Lecture-based approaches have been shown to produce inequitable outcomes for students and limit motivation, and abundant evidence shows that the use of more student-centered strategies and materials are more effective. For introductory courses to fulfill their potential, instructors need support in adopting evidence-based curricular materials and teaching strategies that engage all students. The NSF-funded Teaching with Investigation and Design in Science (TIDeS) project addressed this challenge by supporting instructors in developing, testing, and publishing freely-available complete courses through a rubric-based design process focused on authentic investigation and equity.

The rubric consists of 26 criteria in six sections: guiding principles, learning objectives and goals, assessment and measurement, resources and materials, instructional strategies, and alignment. Each section includes criteria with guidance on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. As a result of the iterative design process, the two complete published courses (one in Earth science) meet the measure of quality articulated by the rubric, and instructors used more equity-focused teaching practices. The freely-available course materials make use of strategies that implement recently-published principles for equitable and effective teaching, including active engagement, building science skills, productive discussions, reflection, transparent and intentional activities, scientist spotlights, and eliciting student thinking.

To determine the impact of the use of the materials on students, we collected pre- and post-instruction surveys and conducted classroom observations in courses with and without the use of TIDeS materials. Survey results reveal gains in students’ beliefs in their ability to contribute ideas, with treatment participants reporting greater confidence gains and more frequently describing how they would use science skills in their future careers. Observations revealed increased engagement in productive discourse. Our findings illuminate the impact of transforming both teaching practices and curricular materials on the creation of an equitable learning environment where all students feel they can participate. The combined focus on curricular materials and teaching practices resulted in a set of materials and supporting professional learning that will help other instructors transform their courses.

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

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-7097

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