{"id":2346,"date":"2024-07-05T15:51:57","date_gmt":"2024-07-05T22:51:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/easeil\/?page_id=2346"},"modified":"2025-08-22T16:49:25","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T23:49:25","slug":"methods-in-oceanographyeosc-473-573","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/easeil\/methods-in-oceanographyeosc-473-573\/","title":{"rendered":"Methods in Oceanography (EOSC 473-573)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Methods in Oceanography (EOSC 473-573)<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Instructors involved in EaSEIL  <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maite <\/a>Maldonado<\/a> (Course Lead 2023\u20132024)
Hal Bradbury<\/a> (Course Lead 2024\u20132025)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Context: Course Description   <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Level:<\/strong> 3rd\u20134th year\/graduate  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Credits:<\/strong> 3 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Term:<\/strong> Winter Term 2<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Capacity:<\/strong> 24 students <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additional fees<\/strong> (2024\u20132025): $482
(includes transport, lodging and food)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instructional team:<\/strong> 2 instructors, 2 teaching assistants. Note: The team rotates every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additional instructional team members<\/strong>: Evgeny Pakhomov (course co-lead), Rich Pawlowicz (course co-lead), 2 rotating teaching assistants, 1 sea-going technician<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The course consists of lectures (1.5 hours twice a week; 6 weeks) and an 8-day field school, <\/strong>including travel, held during the mid-term break (February) at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre<\/a> (BMSC; Bamfield, British Columbia, Canada). BMSC is located within the traditional territory of the Huu-ay-aht First Nations<\/a>. The field component is followed by five group sessions (1.5 hours each) on campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre (Photo Credits: Hal Bradbury, 2025)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Overarching Learning Goals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a> community\u2019s issues, perspectives and knowledge (this last learning goal as of 2023\u20132024 course offering).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Typical Schedule and Activities<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Prior to the Field component<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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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<\/em>: Indigenous engagement activity reflection (individual), research proposal draft (individual\/optional).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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During the
Field component
(7 days; 7am\u201311pm<\/strong>)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Morning<\/em>: 3 days of sampling exercises (rotating groups), 2 days of data collection for individual research projects, Indigenous engagement activity (visit to Kiix\u0294in<\/a> , if available)
Afternoon<\/em>: Data processing and lab analysis
Evening<\/em>: Seminars, Indigenous engagement activity (documentary)
Assessment<\/em>: Sampling exercise summary share out (group), final research proposal (individual), Indigenous engagement activity \u2013documentary\u2013 reflection (individual)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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After the field component<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Individual data analysis and interpretation on campus.
5 class sessions<\/em>: field trip wrap-up, draft journal-style paper peer review, conference-style oral presentations,
Assessment<\/em>: oral presentations (individual\/group), journal-style paper (draft and final, individual\/group) and Indigenous engagement activity short essay (if activity occurs, individual)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Other<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Breakfast and dinner at the field station, packed lunch for the field day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Students in the lab at BMSC1<\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Sampling exercises in Barkley Sound2<\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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1<\/sup>Photo Credits: Maite Maldonado, 20201<\/sup>; Hal Bradbury, 20252<\/sup><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Curricular Development<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Goals (G) and Motivation <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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G1: Integrate Indigenous content and ways of knowing<\/strong> through experiential learning activities<\/strong>, discussion and reflection<\/strong> to increase student awareness<\/strong> of local Indigenous community\u2019s culture, history, perspectives, knowledge and issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

G2:<\/strong> Provide students with as much information as possible<\/strong> about the location and experience of the 8-day field school so they can focus on their learning<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

G3:<\/strong> Scaffold student awareness of productive collaboration<\/strong> expectations and roles in group work & foster peer-to-peer and self-assessment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Activities<\/strong> <\/th>\n2023-2024<\/strong> <\/th>\n2025-Ongoing<\/strong> <\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Prior to the Field component<\/strong> <\/td>\n\nG1: NEW individual Indigenous engagement activity 1*
Students engage on their own with resources about the history of Kiix\u0294in Village and the Huu-ay-aht First Nation\u2019s digital stories<\/a> (provided by instructional team), and draft an individual reflection for an in-class group discussion
\nAssessment: short final reflection after class <\/td>\n\n<\/tr>
<\/td>\n G1: Extended Musqueam <\/a> land and Peoples\u2019 acknowledgement (first two classes) <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nG2: Additional resources about the field station and a student-produced video about the field experience (on Canvas) <\/td>\n<\/tr>
<\/td>\nG3: Share group work and self-assessment criteria, inform students about peer assessment after field work <\/td>\n<\/tr>
During the Field component<\/strong> <\/td>\n\nG1:
\na. NEW Indigenous engagement activity 2*
\nThe students (whole class or small groups) watch the documentary waa\u0142\u0161i\u0294a\u019bin Coming Home<\/a>. Time is allocated for students to write an individual reflection draft. Small\/large group discussion
\nAssessment: Final short reflection
\n\nb. NEW whole group activity* 3 (funded through Advancing Community Engaged Learning Fund)
\nClass divided into two groups to visit the Kiix\u0294in<\/a>, a traditional First Nations\u2019 village (4-hour tour). This activity depends on availability\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
After the Field component<\/strong> <\/td>\n\nG1: Students submit a short essay reflection about the tour
\nStudents are encouraged to acknowledge Indigenous lands and Peoples, as well as data sovereignty in their final papers\/oral presentations, using Local Contexts Labels<\/a> (bonus points).
\nG3: Deploy i-Peer evaluation <\/td>\n\n<\/tr>\n\n\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

*NEW<\/strong> (in 2023\u20132024 course offering) learning outcomes <\/strong>embedded in the course syllabus:<\/p>\n\n\n\n