Starting March 2016 we hope to re-invigorate more frequent postings of education enhancement activities and progress by delivering short blog posts about our work in Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences as well as some of the “EOAS-SEI Times” 2-page guidelines or progress reports that were being delivered to our faculty for a number of years.

announcement: Education enhancement activities here in EOAS and across the Faculty of Science will be highlighted at the FoS Science Education Openhouse, April 11th, starting at 9:00 in the Earth Sciences Building attrium. Join us for short talks, posters from across the faculty, and interaction with friends and colleagues who are developing and/or researching education in UBC’s faculty of science.

Now, here is a list of current education improvement activities in Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences. Future blog posts and Times articles will focus on specifics from these projects. Click the “readmore” tag here to see details.

1. A primary emphasis continues to be developing and studying a paired- or co-teaching model for enhancing the pedagogical expertise of new and existing faculty. At the same time, several courses are being transformed using a model similar to the one we have used between 2007 and 2014 to improve many EOAS courses. Two full time teaching and learning fellows are supported by a combination of external Faculty of Science and Departmental funding.
2. Our two-year Flexible Learning project is winding down with funding running out end of April. This project has focused on figuring out how to cross-fertilize the best active learning techniques in distance education and face to face courses.
3. A new two-year Teaching and Learning Enhancement project starts May. This project aims to enhance the abilities of first year and non-science students to incorporate scientific knowledge and thinking into personal and societal decision-making associated with risk or hazard assessment. The course is our largest course – eosc114, Natural Hazards.
4. Several faculty have successfully obtained smaller scale education improvement funding:
   1. A small TLEF grant was obtained to improve one DE course; eosc310. This project is on hold while the instructor is on maternity leave.
   2. A small TLEF grant has been used to enhance team aspects of learning in a capstone engineering course.
   3. If there are other projects in EOAS not mentioned here – let us know!