Systems Approaches to Regional Sustainability Hawaii Field Course
(ISCI 361/461)
Instructors involved in EaSEIL
Denise Gabriel and Lee Groat (Co-instructors and course designers)
Context: Course Description
Level: 3rd year +
Credits: 3
Term: WT2
Capacity: ~15 students
Additional fees (2024-2025): ~$3100 (accommodation, van rental, gas, activities fees/entrance fees – Go Global) plus flight/meals
Instructional team: 3 co-instructors, 1 teaching assistant
Additional instructional team members: Steve Quane
This course is offered in a hybrid mode and consists of virtual component (pre-field modules), one pre-departure meeting in person (organized by UBC’s Go Global Program) and an 8-day field course in Hawaii. Students share a house for the duration of the field trip.
Students learn about the course through information sessions held on Zoom (recorded) and information sessions (zoom/recorded). They apply through UBC’s Go Global Program. While all students in the Faculty of Science register, preference is given to students enrolled in Integrated Sciences.
(Source: Integrated Sciences Newsletter Spring 2025)
Overarching Learning Goals
This course introduces students to the study of various components of regional systems (e.g., economic, social, and environmental systems). Students experience Hawaiian land, ecosystems and communities firsthand, and hear local experts’ perspectives on contemporary and historic factors influencing the Hawaiian system. The students apply systems science encompassing geological, hydrological, ecological, atmospheric sciences, and energy systems approaches to study regional sustainability in the island nation of Hawaii.
Specific Goals:
- To demonstrate the interconnectedness of systems and the necessity to use systems thinking to combat sustainability challenges
- To introduce students to systems thinking in an isolated, semi-permeable island nation
- To expose students to a broad range of experts and specialists devoting their careers to topics in sustainability in Hawaii, and how this knowledge may be applied to a global scale
- To allow students to explore specific topics in sustainability and climate change through an integrated and multidisciplinary systems lens
Typical Schedule and Activities
Prior to field component
Five preparatory online modules to familiarize students with systems thinking, sustainability science, the geologic and natural histories of the islands, and cultural histories and perspectives – the history of the place and its people. Pre-departure meeting organized by Go Global (safety, logistics, meet-n-greet).
Assessment: 5 Online preparatory quizzes (Individual)
Field component (8 days;
8.30 am-5 pm)
Visits to sites of interest (observation/reflection-based), Focused on how the island ‘system’ came to be and the impact of climate crisis on sustainability. Students complete guided written reflections for each site visit, and instructors lead evening oral debriefs.
Assessment: Written final exam (Individual)
After field component
No classes scheduled. Students work on a culminating project (in pairs) focused on a self-selected theme they observed during field component of the course.
Assessment: In-person final project presentation (digital poster) in pairs
Other
Students cook breakfast and dinner (food/meal planning groups; waste competition- the winner produces the least amount of waste), packed lunch for field day.
Curricular Development
Goals (G) and Motivation
G1: Emphasize Indigenous perspectives on past, present and future of sustainability
G2: Clearly lay out daily activities for students to enhance student learning and knowledge acquisition during the field component of the course
G3: Improve accessibility, inclusion and equity (financial, physical, socio cognitive)
1Source: ISCI 361 Hawaii Field Course: Systems Approaches to Sustainability
| Activities | 2022-2023 | 2023-2024 | 2024-2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prior to the field component | G1: New preparatory online modules on the history of the place and its people
G3: Online content available to help students familiarize with the place. The course cost is subsidized by the Integrated Sciences Specialization and offered through UBC’s Go Global Program which grants travel awards for all students |
||
| During the Field component | G1: Tour of National Park led by Native Hawaiian – motivated the instructional team to add more visits to sites of cultural significance | ||
| G1a. Three guides representing Hawaiian knowledges and culture for visits to sites of cultural significance G1 b. NEW land acknowledgement (Musqueam & Hawaii) on syllabus |
|||
| G2 a. New pedagogical approach to scaffold student learning during daily visits and prepare them for evening debriefs (i.e., pre-visit prompts, guided written reflection). Participation (8%) G2 b. Gathered student perspectives on experience with reflection and discussion activities to inform future offerings. Participation (2%) |
|||
| G3: Used 2-way communication radios during site visits & piloted a virtual narrated version of field visits (off-site). Gathered student feedback. This will continue in subsequent course offerings. | |||
Note: In 2025-2026 there will be a location change, which will imply pedagogical changes. For more information about the course visit: https://intsci.ubc.ca/courses/hawaii-field-course-systems-approaches-regional-sustainability
Impact
Students
Total number of students enrolled 2022-2025 (three course offerings): 43 undergraduate students.
Read student reflections about the course:
- ISCI 361/461 Hawaii Field Course 2023 Recap! (Faculty of Science, Integrated Sciences Website)
- ISCI 361: Hawaii Field Course Spotlight (Integrated Insights, UBC Integrated Sciences Newsletter Spring 2025
Instructors’ Reflections
“The trip [in February 2024] was such a huge success and we had highly favourable feedback. The students loved the prompts and debriefs [during field visits].” (Instructor personal communication, Mar. 15, 2024)
“Having that time [for reflection and group discussions] really elevated the content and the experience for students. The feedback that I received made me believe that it made them feel heard and that if anything they want more rather than less of those types of discussions.” (Instructor reflective interview, Jun. 2024)
“I used the impact assessment tool provided by EaSEIL and found it to be incredibly helpful and insightful. I think that those things have really enhanced the field experience. My co-instructors, who were not part of EaSEIL, but saw how they were implemented would agree with me on that statement.” (Instructor reflective interview, Jun. 2024)
“Students looked forward very much to those debriefs, those conversations. [Students] were overwhelmingly positive about having that material. That’s a big pedagogical change that we made.” (Instructor reflective interview, Jun. 2024) … “That has changed the overall narrative arch of the field experience and the way that we make it more pedagogically intensive and reflective.” (Instructor reflective interview, May 2025)
“We certainly have increased Indigenous content in the Hawaii course and one of the best things is that we met a ranger in one of the parks who is native Hawaiian. Her talk about being caught between 2 worlds is the most powerful thing the students experience on that field course (Instructor reflective interview, May 2024) … We elevated the awareness of why we go into places versus not going into places.” (Instructor reflective interview, Jun. 2024)
“We have so much virtual content now that we could, for example, take a wheelchair-bound person on the Hawaii trip, which we wouldn’t have been able to do before. This has not yet come up, but when it does, I don’t see any reason why we wouldn’t be able to give that individual largely the same experience” (Instructor reflective interview, May 2024)
Key Lessons Learned
- Consider student access to internet and time zones for scheduling group meetings when integrating preparatory online learning modules, this is important to foster a sense of classroom collegiality and community.
- Visits to areas of cultural significance and guidance by representatives of Indigenous Knowledges are not always available. Have alternative plans to offer students the opportunity to hear local experts’ perspectives.
- Supporting student accessibility and scaffolding their learning during site visits is highly beneficial for everyone.
Other work by Denise Gabriel:
TLEF project: https://tlef.ubc.ca/funded-proposals/entry/1020/
Gabriel, D. & Lyle, M. (June 25, 2025). Inclusion Strategies for Faculty-led International Programs [Talk]. BC International Education Week, Whistler, Canada.