Increasing student engagement by incorporating authentic climate science research in the classroom
Abstract
Identifying effective teaching strategies for improving climate literacy in higher education has important impacts for teaching introductory and advanced science classes. Increased classroom engagement is linked to increased learning gains, but it has been difficult to identify teaching techniques that increase student engagement in climate science. Galvanic skin sensors are innovative and valid tools for measuring student engagement in a controlled setting, but skin sensors have not yet been used in large-scale education studies in a classroom setting. Using new open-source analysis tools developed specifically for skin sensor data, here we analyze biometric and behavioral data from an introductory undergraduate climate science class to answer two foundational questions: 1) How does student engagement in a climate science class vary with instructional method and content? 2) Does bringing cutting-edge research into the classroom inspire and engage students? This study tests biosensors as way to quantitatively measure 'inspiration' - in other words, to explore where classroom inspiration and engagement actually happen. Based on skin sensor results from a controlled setting, students are most engaged during one-on-one dialogue activities. Our results have the potential to inform instructional design and significantly advance the field of learning climate science. This study also encourages synergy between geosciences and social sciences by developing open source tools for big data analysis in education research.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFMED33D1033M
- Keywords:
-
- 0805 Elementary and secondary education;
- EDUCATION;
- 0810 Post-secondary education;
- EDUCATION;
- 0815 Informal education;
- EDUCATION;
- 0840 Evaluation and assessment;
- EDUCATION