Strategies for Flipping Geology for Engineers with Limited Time and Resources

Civil, environmental, and/or architectural engineers are often required to take a geology course as part of their undergraduate curriculum. In the past, engaging and interesting engineering students in geology at Villanova University and Drexel University has been a challenge. Therefore, the authors collaborated to overhaul their respective geology courses with the goals of improving student engagement, learning, and satisfaction. Based on literature supporting the potential benefits of a flipped (inverted) classroom, as well as previous success by other faculty at Villanova University in flipping other required engineering courses, the authors decided to change geology from a mostly lecture format to a flipped classroom format. However, the time and resources required to convert a course to a flipped format can quickly become overwhelming, especially for tenure-track faculty. Nonetheless, the authors were able to successfully, and efficiently, flip their geology courses by utilizing several simple strategies that leveraged free, existing resources. Comparison of student evaluation scores from previous years (lecture format) with the newer flipped format as well as student surveys indicated improved student perception of use of class time, instructor interaction, amount learned, how intellectually stimulating the course was, quality of instruction, and overall value of the course to their education. The strategies used to flip the geology course with limited time and resources are useful for other engineering courses as well, and are described in detail. Challenges encountered with implementing the new format at both universities also are discussed. Introduction and Background At many universities, undergraduate students enrolled in civil, environmental, and/or architectural engineering programs are required to take a basic geology course. At Villanova University, Geology for Engineers (CEE 2805) is required for all Civil and Environmental Engineering students. Similarly, at Drexel University, Geologic Principles for Infrastructure & Environmental Engineering (CAEE 212) is a required course for all civil, architectural and environmental engineering students. At Villanova, the three-credit class meets twice a week for 75 minutes and is taught in two sections with approximately 30 students in each section. At Drexel, the four-credit class meets twice a week for 80 minutes and once a week for two hours (including a laboratory portion) as one large section. The class size at Drexel typically ranges from 60 to 80 students, but the last offering (fall 2017) had an abnormally low enrollment of 34 students. Although the academic calendar at Drexel is on a quarter system and Villanova is semesters, the number of class meetings is essentially the same for both schools. For both universities, the geology course fulfills a science requirement for ABET. In the past, engaging and interesting engineering students in geology at both universities had been a challenge. Despite the authors’ best efforts, students struggled to appreciate the relevance of basic geology to engineering. When teaching the course in a mostly lecture-style format, the authors were constrained in the amount of activities and examples they could include to emphasize the link to engineering, while still covering all of the basic geology content that was required. Literature supporting the potential benefits of a flipped (i.e. inverted) engineering classroom, e.g. [1-12] , as well as previous success by other faculty at Villanova University in flipping required civil engineering courses [13, 14] motivated the authors to overhaul geology from a mostly lecture format to a flipped classroom format. A flipped class typically involves delivering course content via readings or online lectures outside of class. In class, active learning strategies are employed so students apply key concepts and are able to get feedback. In this case, most course content was delivered using online videos or narrated PowerPoint lectures outside of class, with short in-class lectures to highlight key points and engineering applications of geology. The majority of class time was interactive, with students doing a variety of activities in small groups while the instructor circulated around the room providing feedback. The time and resources required to convert a course to a flipped format can be daunting. The initial effort may be overwhelming, especially for tenure-track faculty and without outside support. However, the authors were able to utilize some simple strategies to maximize efficiency in changing their respective geology courses from what had been mostly lecture format to a flipped format that was first implemented in fall 2016. At the time of this paper, the flipped format has been in place for two years and student and faculty feedback regarding the change has been positive. The reader should note that the purpose of this paper is not to assess the impact of the flipped classroom on student learning. Rather, this paper describes simple strategies and free resources that were used to flip the course, which may be useful for flipping other courses, and provides specific examples of how the flipped geology course was structured. Strategies Used The authors collaborated to flip their geology courses at both universities, with the goals of improving student engagement, learning, and satisfaction. The courses were successfully, and efficiently, overhauled by utilizing some simple strategies and free, existing resources. These strategies (or “tips”) are described in detail subsequently. Tip 1. Partner with a colleague If possible, partner with a colleague at another (or the same) university who wants to flip a similar course and also has a similar degree of investment in a successful outcome. There are two very important benefits of working with someone else on this endeavor. First, you can divide and conquer. The authors at each university prepared materials for about half of the 25 class periods, which included pre-class materials and in-class activities. Topics were divided based on areas of expertise where possible or instructor availability at the time the materials were needed. In this case, the first author received an educational grant to support development of the revised course and the second author revised the course during sabbatical leave. As a result, the authors had a relatively equal investment in achieving a successful outcome and participated equally in course development. Flipping a course typically requires cutting some content. Thus, the second major advantage of partnering with someone is the ability to discuss with and agree upon the most important outcomes for the course. The authors wanted the course to better engage students in learning geology, so decided to focus on the engineering relevance of geology to civil, architectural and environmental engineering. In addition, the course is a prerequisite for subsequent geotechnical engineering courses, so another goal was to spark student interest in geotechnical engineering to potentially increase enrollments in upper level courses. The resulting course was a combination of introductory physical geology, rock mechanics, and geomorphology. Table 1 is an example topic schedule for the revised course. A basic understanding of Earth’s structure and tectonic processes is necessary to understand how Earth works and the various environments in which rocks form. Additionally, a general understanding of the rock cycle, minerals, and major rock classes is required to understand how different rocks behave in various engineering applications. Table 1. Example topic schedule for flipped geology class at Villanova and Drexel Universities. Major Topic Topic No. Topic Earth Structure & Plate Tectonics 1 Course intro 2 Earth system & plate tectonics 3 Geologic time Rock Cycle & Rock Types 4 Minerals & the rock cycle 5 Mineral identification 6 Energy & mineral resources 7 Volcanic Processes 8 Igneous rocks 9 Sedimentary rocks 10 Metamorphic rocks 11 Rock identification Rock Mechanics, Structural Geology, Earthquakes & Hazards 12 Weathering & soil 13 Rock mechanics 14 Structural geology & earthquakes 15 Earthquake engineering 16 Landslides Geomorphology 17 Landscapes & hydrologic cycle (campus tour) 18 Streams & floods 19 Groundwater 20 Field trip (self-guided) 21 Geophysical methods & karst 22 Glaciers & glacial landforms 23 Oceans, coasts & climate change 24 Rating systems for sustainable engineering The second half of the term is devoted to introductory rock mechanics, geologic hazards, and introductory geomorphology. Rock mechanics includes stress-strain behavior of rocks and an introduction to rock mass rating systems. Geologic hazards such as earthquakes and landslides are covered next, and geotechnical resources (e.g. GEER reports, USGS design maps) are utilized in the activities. In geomorphology, the topics include the interaction of the lithosphere with the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere and the landforms that result from those interactions. Throughout the course, the activities deliberately focus on the engineering aspects or applications of geology. Tip 2. Decide on course layout and logistics upfront The authors learned not to underestimate the importance of course organization and thorough logistical planning to successfully teach in a flipped format. There were important questions about the course that the authors found useful to reflect upon before attempting to adapt/develop any materials for the new format. For example: 1) What types of content and learning outcomes should the students be responsible for outside of the classroom versus in the classroom? How and when will that content be delivered? 2) Should the entire class period be devoted to active learning or would the students benefit from starting with a brief (e.g. 10-15 minute) lecture first to review important or challenging concepts, prior