Education Opportunities and Challenges

1. Education Opportunities and Challenges Teaching About the Ocean System July 7, 2005 Ed Laine Bowdoin College

2. Inquiry Based Instruction • Introductory Service Learning Course • New Oceanographic Buoy in Casco Bay

3. Introduction to Marine Environmental Geology Geo/ES103 • Introductory • Counts for Geo and Environmental Studies • Inquiry into Natural Sciences • Over 60% non-science majors

4. Service Learning? • Delivering part of traditional content • Problems from community partner • Design an approach • Field observations • Analysis • Write-up • Poster • Not, beach cleanup, brushwhacking, etc

5. Typical projects • Low DO in Quahog Bay • Stratification of Quahog Bay • Sediment characteristics • Primary productivity

6. Typical Project September Students review data from Friends of Casco Bay FOCB has also provided a “Problem Statement”

7. Early September Students write competitive essays • FOCB statement/visit • Lectures • Readings • Web • Field Site Visits

8. September • Faculty build student capacity • Labs on Techniques • Everyone does Winklers • Everyone works with YSIs • Field visits • Lectures and readings

9. Late September • Student groups write proposals • Discussed in a class – linkages • Vetted by faculty/laboratory instructors • Ship time allocated

10. October • Field Work • Rite in the Rain • Two visits • Contingency • Help • FOCB visits

11. November • Analysis • ODV for some • Excel for others • GIS maps • FOCB visits

12. Stratification October 19, 2004 October 26, 2004

13. Structured Writing Project • Introduction • Lab instructor • Methods • Writing Project • Results • FOCB • Discussion • Me

14. Late November and early December • Final report to FOCB • Poster Session • Presentations

15. Pluses • Immediate engagement • Ownership of data • Team approach • Writing intensive • Numeracy • Realistic view of science

16. Group Work • Requires “Community Building” • Monitoring and maintaining community • Giving up some control • Classroom with a different feel

17. What Students Say • The first time out on the boat the YSI broke and our trip to Card Cove was 'unsuccessful'. While this was frustrating, it made me realize & appreciate the work that geologists and other scientists must do:  data collection does not always go as smoothly as one hopes

18. More Quotes • My favorite aspect….was actually the analysis • It was satisfying to have gone through the whole process of designing, researching, and executing a new project • I particularly liked being able to compare our Maine estuary to bays in Chile, China, and Australia, as well as to other marine areas in Maine, through scholarly and secondary literature.

19. Another Student • It was a huge sense of accomplishment when the project was finally finished • I could finally explain what all the data meant • I knew that we had really learning something that would be of use to other members in the community

20. Finally • When I was working on this project, I felt like I was working as a scientist

21. Learn More About Service Learning • Community Service Office on your campus • Campus Compact • www.compact.org • Locate your state compact • www.compact.org/state/

22. Oceanographic Buoy • Meteorology • PO • Optical Oceanography • Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System • www.gomoos.org

24. Harpswell Sound, Casco Bay, Gulf of Maine

25. Who? • Bowdoin College • Bigelow Labs • Collin Roesler • St Joseph’s College • Greg Teegarden

26. Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) • Lumbos’ (Lombo’s) Hole reporting site • Expertise of Co-PIs • Collin Roesler -- Bigelow Labs • Greg Teegarden -- St Joseph’s College

27. Buoy Site Adjacent to College’s Coastal Studies Center

28. Buoy Uses • Science of HABs • Marine economy • Education

29. For Discussion • How can we develop this facility so that it has the greatest educational impact? • What resources are needed to involve “land locked” colleges?