Methods in Oceanography (EOSC 473-573)
Instructors involved in EaSEIL
Maite Maldonado (Course Lead 2023–2024)
Hal Bradbury (Course Lead 2024–2025)
Context: Course Description
Level: 3rd–4th year/graduate
Credits: 3
Term: Winter Term 2
Capacity: 24 students
Additional fees (2024–2025): $482
(includes transport, lodging and food)
Instructional team: 2 instructors, 2 teaching assistants. Note: The team rotates every year.
Additional instructional team members: Evgeny Pakhomov (course co-lead), Rich Pawlowicz (course co-lead), 2 rotating teaching assistants, 1 sea-going technician
The course consists of lectures (1.5 hours twice a week; 6 weeks) and an 8-day field school, including travel, held during the mid-term break (February) at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre (BMSC; Bamfield, British Columbia, Canada). BMSC is located within the traditional territory of the Huu-ay-aht First Nations. The field component is followed by five group sessions (1.5 hours each) on campus.
Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre (Photo Credits: Hal Bradbury, 2025)
Overarching Learning Goals
Introduce students to the techniques and processes of modern scientific investigation in oceanography. The major steps in a research program are carried out. During the field school students will gain hands-on experience in methods of data acquisition, study and analysis fundamental to the three major oceanographic sub-disciplines (physics, chemistry, biology). Students will increase their awareness of the Bamfield First Nations Huu-ay-aht community’s issues, perspectives and knowledge (this last learning goal as of 2023–2024 course offering).
Typical Schedule and Activities
Prior to the Field component
6 weeks of class meetings on campus. Introduction to physical, chemical & biological oceanography (skills/techniques/tools).
Orientation to Bamfield oceanographic setting, local Indigenous communities and the field station. Complete emergency and safety forms as well as the chemical safety course online and practical sessions.
Assessment: Indigenous engagement activity reflection (individual), research proposal draft (individual/optional).
During the
Field component
(7 days; 7am–11pm)
Morning: 3 days of sampling exercises (rotating groups), 2 days of data collection for individual research projects, Indigenous engagement activity (visit to Kiixʔin , if available)
Afternoon: Data processing and lab analysis
Evening: Seminars, Indigenous engagement activity (documentary)
Assessment: Sampling exercise summary share out (group), final research proposal (individual), Indigenous engagement activity –documentary– reflection (individual)
After the field component
Individual data analysis and interpretation on campus.
5 class sessions: field trip wrap-up, draft journal-style paper peer review, conference-style oral presentations,
Assessment: oral presentations (individual/group), journal-style paper (draft and final, individual/group) and Indigenous engagement activity short essay (if activity occurs, individual)
Other
Breakfast and dinner at the field station, packed lunch for the field day.
1Photo Credits: Maite Maldonado, 20201; Hal Bradbury, 20252
Curricular Development
Goals (G) and Motivation
G1: Integrate Indigenous content and ways of knowing through experiential learning activities, discussion and reflection to increase student awareness of local Indigenous community’s culture, history, perspectives, knowledge and issues.
G2: Provide students with as much information as possible about the location and experience of the 8-day field school so they can focus on their learning.
G3: Scaffold student awareness of productive collaboration expectations and roles in group work & foster peer-to-peer and self-assessment.
| Activities | 2023-2024 | 2025-Ongoing |
|---|---|---|
| Prior to the Field component | G1: NEW individual Indigenous engagement activity 1* Students engage on their own with resources about the history of Kiixʔin Village and the Huu-ay-aht First Nation’s digital stories (provided by instructional team), and draft an individual reflection for an in-class group discussion Assessment: short final reflection after class |
|
| G1: Extended Musqueam land and Peoples’ acknowledgement (first two classes) | ||
| G2: Additional resources about the field station and a student-produced video about the field experience (on Canvas) | ||
| G3: Share group work and self-assessment criteria, inform students about peer assessment after field work | ||
| During the Field component | G1: a. NEW Indigenous engagement activity 2* The students (whole class or small groups) watch the documentary waałšiʔaƛin Coming Home. Time is allocated for students to write an individual reflection draft. Small/large group discussion Assessment: Final short reflection b. NEW whole group activity* 3 (funded through Advancing Community Engaged Learning Fund) Class divided into two groups to visit the Kiixʔin, a traditional First Nations’ village (4-hour tour). This activity depends on availability |
|
| After the Field component | G1: Students submit a short essay reflection about the tour Students are encouraged to acknowledge Indigenous lands and Peoples, as well as data sovereignty in their final papers/oral presentations, using Local Contexts Labels (bonus points). G3: Deploy i-Peer evaluation |
|
*NEW (in 2023–2024 course offering) learning outcomes embedded in the course syllabus:
- Recognize traditional knowledge as a way of knowing
- Outline aspects of traditional ocean and land systems and identify issues impacting the Huu-ay-aht people today
- Describe some plants or marine animals/algae of cultural significance to the Huu-ay-aht First Nation
- Identify some bridging between Indigenous and Western knowledge
- Identify some key plans by the Huu-ay-aht people to conserve their lands and water, while also sustaining their economy
- Identify how oceanography research in general might be useful to the Huu-ay-aht community.
EOSC 473/573 visit to Kiixʔin, February 2024 (Photos shared by Maite Maldonado)
Impact
Students
Total number of students enrolled 2023-2025 (two course offerings): 47 students (37 undergraduate and 10 graduate)
Students enrolled in the course completed an anonymous survey after the field school in which they shared their insights regarding the new indigenous engagement activities. More details in forthcoming publications/presentations.
Instructors’ Reflections
“The students get an enriching and amazing experience [in the field school], in terms of science, as well as cultural and social connections, it’s just a wonderful trip for them.” (Instructor reflective Interview, Aug. 2022)
“There was good discussion in class [after land acknowledgement in first class]… and everyone seemed interested. I think they liked the fact that it was a bit different. It wasn’t a standard land acknowledgment; it was more about the Peoples and their relationship and their origin story and the campus.” (Instructor reflective Interview, May 2025)
“[Through the Indigenous Engagement Activities] the students became aware of some of the issues that First Nations in the area are dealing with, right now, or that they are worried about.” (Instructor reflective interview, May 2025)
“I think without the Kiixʔin in-person tour, I could still have done a fair amount of Indigenous engagement activities by having the students watch the selected videos/documentaries and read various websites and documents, [like in the field school in 2025]. But having that [tour] was like the cherry on the pie.” (Instructor reflective interview, May 2025)
“We had a series of activities before [going] to Banfield. We had the students discuss in groups their thoughts and their readings [Indigenous Activity 1] … These discussions created deeper connections among the students. So, [the activities were] valuable because [the students] learned about Indigenous knowledge and culture, but also because by the time we went to Banfield, they really had connected with each other more than in previous years.” (Instructor reflective interview, May 2025)
“I’ve been impressed with how positive the students have been in both iterations [2024 and 2025 course offerings]. Obviously this year there were challenges [tour of Kiixʔin did not happen], but [students] were still very positive and really appreciated it when I talked to them about Indigenous knowledge and culture in class or when we were out in the field. And they really seemed to want more of it. A lot of them were clearly coming from a space where they hadn’t really done much or thought much about it, which surprised me.” (Instructor reflective Interview, May 2025)
“I think it’s great to have some stuff in the class [before the field school]. I shared Indigenous content in the first class in the introduction to the course, and also in a second class, and then I did it in the field. And I think by having the different parts throughout the course, it made it feel more like part of the course on a whole, rather than just, ’Here’s a five-minute segment, we have to do this’. So, building [Indigenous-related content] through the course was good. And I think if we’d been able to do the visit [to Kiixʔin] at the field site, that would have been even better.” (Instructor reflective Interview, May 2025)
Key Lessons Learned
- There is value in sharing with the students your own learning journey about embedding Indigenous perspectives and knowledges into your teaching
“I’m proud of what I’ve done [regarding Indigenous engagement activities]. If I were to teach again, I would only do minimal tweaks [informed by student feedback and own experience] … It was great was letting students know this was the first time I was trying those activities. Thus, I was learning along them… this created a very positive and communal learning experience … and students liked that.” (Instructor personal communication, Oct. 8, 2024)
- Developing the Indigenous engagement activities took effort (identifying resources and personally engaging with them; designing the activities), but the impact the activities are having on student experiences is rewarding.
- Doing the homework of identifying Indigenous-authored resources to amplify Indigenous Peoples voices and perspectives is key to respecting knowledge sovereignty.
- Offering multiple resources and opportunities to support students’ preparedness (physical, mental, cognitive) to learn individually and as a group goes a long way in terms of their wellbeing.