Building first-year competencies through teaching great problems in ecology

Background/Question/Methods

Institutions, like Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), recognize the importance of project-based learning for STEM education, and university-wide curriculum changes in the 1970s included intensive research and service projects for juniors and seniors. The newest addition to this commitment is the first-year Great Problems Seminar (GPS) program. Courses in this program are co-taught by an interdisciplinary set of faculty and provide an introduction to WPI’s problem-based curriculum. In 2012, WPI’s GPS courses were recognized by the National Academy of Engineering as a model program that successfully “infused real world experiences into engineering education.” Students in GPS classes work in small teams to explore issues in food, health, natural resource, energy, environment, and water sustainability. Learning objectives for the GPS program include improving information literacy, developing critical thinking and evidence-based writing skills, effective group collaboration, and preparing and delivering effective presentations on potential solutions to complex problems. Throughout the course co-instructors assign a mix of assignments rooted in their discipline. The courses I teach in the GPS program (Biosphere, Atmosphere, and Human Fears and Livable Cities) explore complex ecological challenges from scientific, social, ethical, philosophical, and technological perspectives.

Results/Conclusions

Student interest for GPS classes that incorporate complex ecological problems was high as both filled to capacity when they were offered. Topics covered in the classes included causes, trends, and impacts of land use changes, climate change, loss of habitat and biodiversity, and urbanization. For both classes, students found ecologically-based assignments worthwhile and of high interest. For example, of nine assignments in Livable Cities an eco-design assignment (where they explained methods to incorporate green features in cities) received the highest ranking of worthwhileness (5.79 vs mean 4.71). In Biosphere, Atmosphere, and Human Fears, assignments on land use change and a reflection on one’s place in nature ranked the highest in both worthwhileness and interest. Additionally, these courses may be especially effective at recruiting and retaining women in STEM fields, as the Livable Cities class had 46% women compared to the university population of 32%. In summary, these first-year GPS classes demonstrate the ability to build competencies in students so that they may succeed in their project-based curriculum at WPI, while offering the opportunity to engage STEM students in real-world social and ecological issues that will better prepare them for the challenges they will face throughout their careers.