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Engaging Non-science Students in Large Classes

Most students in introductory geoscience courses are not headed toward careers as scientists. One high-enrollment science course may be a student’s only opportunity to engage with science from a scientific perspective. Given that earth systems science is immensely relevant to human society today, engaging students in these large enrollment courses is a crucial and golden opportunity. Two engagement techniques were used in a large class for non-science students called “Earth and the Solar System”: (1) short on-line quizzes prior to each class, based on reading material (an aspect of Just-in-Time-Teaching), and (2) in-class activities that required students to address some important concept and submit a written response. Although this was not a controlled experiment (students self-selected their participation levels), students who regularly kept up with the quizzes and regularly participated in inclass activities performed better on high stakes exams, even though all material was made available to all students for study. Surveys of students regarding the effectiveness of pre-class quizzes and in-class activities show that they regarded both as valuable learning experiences and favored keeping both aspects in the course.