Teach the Earth: Making the connection between research and practice in broadening participation

• Published in: Journal of geoscience education 2019-11, Vol.67 (4), p.300-312
• Main Authors: McDaris, John R., Iverson, Ellen R., Manduca, Cathryn A., Huyck Orr, Cailin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Aerospace Education; At risk students; Capacity Building; Careers; College students; Community colleges; Community Relations; Demographics; Departments; Diversity; Earth Science; Education; Educational Practices; Educational Research; Educational Resources; Educational Strategies; Evidence Based Practice; Feedback (Response); Feedback loops; Geology; Higher education; inclusive practice; Internship Programs; Knowledge Base for Teaching; Knowledge bases (artificial intelligence); Learning; Minority & ethnic groups; Multiculturalism & pluralism; National parks; Numbers; Resource Materials; Science Education; Science Instruction; Society; STEM education; Student Diversity; Student Motivation; Students; Success; Teaching Methods; Web Sites; Websites
• ISSN: 1089-9995; 2158-1428
• DOI: 10.1080/10899995.2019.1616272

In the decade since the 2007 JGE special issue on broadening participation, much work has been done to draw new voices into the geosciences, and the number of students from underrepresented groups graduating with geoscience degrees has grown. However, the rate of increase is not yet large enough that geoscience demographics represent the broader society. Accelerating the rate of increase requires widespread adoption of research-based educational practices across three areas: attracting a diverse group of students to the geosciences, supporting them through graduation, and preparing them for career success. This attract-support-prepare framework builds on previous work that examined programs that have been successful in increasing the numbers of students from underrepresented groups persisting in the geosciences, as well as the experiences of faculty from a number of contexts. The Teach the Earth web portal makes adoption of impactful practices easier by providing access to extensive resources, models, and strategies to attract, support, and prepare students. The website also allows faculty, programs, departments, and the education community to move forward together on issues surrounding broadening participation by enabling individuals to build on the work of others instead of starting from scratch. By providing a feedback loop in which new contributions of education research and faculty experience are added to the community knowledge base, the website creates a link between education research and practice.