2007-08 College of Science Quality Learning Fund Proposal

Project Title

College of Science International Field Studies Program:

Costa Rica, Central America

Project Faculty

Project Director

Dr. Jeffrey S. Marshall

Geological Sciences Department

Extension: 3461

Email: marshall@csupomona.edu

Web: http://www.csupomona.edu/~marshall/

Participating Faculty

Dr. Jonathan A. Nourse

Geological Sciences Department

Extension: 3460

Email: janourse@csupomona.edu

Web: http://geology.csupomona.edu/janourse/default.htm

Summary

Field studies are an essential component of Natural Sciences education. While classroom and laboratory instruction are important, students achieve greater comprehension and self-confidence while engaged in practical field studies aimed at solving real-world problems. The impact of field learning is further enhanced when students are exposed to new and unique field environments that expand their perspective on the natural world, and broaden their understanding of global connections. The overall objective of this course proposal is to initiate a College of Science International Field Studies Program in Costa Rica, Central America. This program will begin during Spring Break 2008 with a pilot Geological Sciences Field Module (GSC 491L) led by Dr. Jeff Marshall and Dr. Jon Nourse. Cal Poly Pomona Geology majors are required to complete four GSC 491L Field Modules for graduation. Similar field studies requirements exist in other Natural Sciences majors. The Costa Rica Field Module will serve as a model for the development of a broader, project-based Interdisciplinary Tropical Field Studies Course that will involve students and faculty from across College of Science disciplines. This new interdisciplinary field course would be scheduled every two-years and designed to interface with the existing curricula of participating departments. The pilot Field Module and proposed Interdisciplinary Tropical Field Studies Course will be based on the project director’s prior experience in leading undergraduate field projects in Costa Rica with the Keck Geology Consortium, Franklin & Marshall College, and Cal Poly Pomona’s Geological and Biological Sciences Departments. Costa Rica provides an ideal setting for a quality International Field Studies Program. This politically stable Central American nation has a well-developed ecotourism infrastructure, and is recognized internationally as a center for natural sciences field research. The proposed interdisciplinary field course will immerse College of Science students in a vibrant landscape of neotropical rainforests, active volcanoes, dynamic rivers, and rugged coastlines. The students also will be exposed to the unique cultural, economic, and environmental issues of a developing Pacific Rim nation. This new field program represents an unprecedented learning experience for College of Science students. It will exemplify Cal Poly Pomona’s “Learn by Doing” philosophy, and will further advance the College of Science’s Learning Centered Mission.

Project Overview

Objective

The overall objective of this proposal is to initiate a College of Science International Field Studies Program in Costa Rica, Central America. This program will begin during Spring Break 2008 with a pilot Geology Field Module (GSC 491L) led by Dr. Jeff Marshall (project director) and Dr. Jon Nourse. This initial Field Module will serve as a model for the development of a broader, project-based Interdisciplinary Tropical Field Studies Course that will involve students and faculty from other College of Science departments. This new interdisciplinary field course will be scheduled every two years and designed to interface with existing curricula of participating departments. The 2008 pilot Field Module will engage students in hands-on field projects during a 9-day visit to Costa Rica. Projects will be designed to teach students fundamental skills of fieldwork while they investigate the region’s tectonic and volcanic hazards. Both the pilot Field Module and the Interdisciplinary Tropical Field Studies Course will be based on the project director’s prior experience leading undergraduate field projects in Costa Rica with the Keck Geology Consortium, Franklin & Marshall College, and Cal Poly Pomona’s Geological and Biological Sciences Departments.

Rationale

In the Natural Sciences, the most effective student learning takes place during hands-on field experiences (e.g., Lonergan and Andresen, 1988; Timmer, 2004). While classroom and laboratory instruction are important, students achieve greater comprehension and self-confidence while engaged in practical field studies aimed at solving real-world problems. For example, fieldwork is an essential component of student learning in most Cal Poly Pomona Geological Sciences courses. Geology majors are also required to complete a Field Methods Course (GSC 255), and four Field Modules (GSC 491L, formerly GSC 499) or a 6-week Summer Field Camp (GSC 490L). Our current Field Modules feature hands-on projects investigating the geology and tectonics of the Mojave Desert, Coast Ranges, San Gabriel Mountains, and Sonora, Mexico. Geology alumni describe these field experiences as instrumental in preparing them for success in their careers as geoscientists.

The impact of field learning is further enhanced when students are exposed to new and unique field environments that expand their perspective on the natural world, and broaden their understanding of global connections. Costa Rica provides an ideal setting for a quality international field studies program (Marshall, 2005; Marshall et al., 2005). This politically stable Central American nation has a well-developed ecotourism infrastructure, and is recognized internationally as a center for natural sciences field research. The proposed interdisciplinary field course will immerse College of Science students in a vibrant landscape of neotropical rainforests, active volcanoes, dynamic rivers, and rugged coastlines. The students will also be exposed to the unique cultural, economic, and environmental issues of a developing Pacific Rim nation. This new field program represents an unprecedented quality learning experience for our students. It will exemplify Cal Poly’s “Learn by Doing” philosophy, and will further advance the College of Science’s Learning Centered Mission.

Achieving objectives and timeline

The 2008 Costa Rica Field Module will take place during Spring Break. Students will enroll simultaneously in two GSC 491L sections scheduled for Spring Quarter. These courses will be advertised during the Fall Quarter, and up to 14 qualified students will be selected by the Winter Break. Required organizational meetings will be held during Winter Quarter in advance of the trip. Students will also meet during Spring Quarter after the trip to complete their data analysis and project reports. Final products will be submitted for grading at the end of Spring Quarter.

The 2008 Geology Field Module will serve as a pilot course for developing a broader 400-level Interdisciplinary Tropical Field Studies Course that will be scheduled every two years. Ideally, this new course would be initiated during the Spring Break or early Summer of 2009. This course will be developed under the direction of Dr. Marshall in collaboration with interested faculty from other College of Science departments. The course will be designed to interface with existing requirements of participating departments (e.g., Environmental Biology Cluster 1, Geology Field Module, etc.). Each year, the participating faculty will develop an appropriate itinerary and set of field exercises. Some projects will be designed in consultation with Costa Rican colleagues at local universities and research institutions. Participating students will work in project teams to complete a subset of field exercises most appropriate to their needs and interests. Some example projects by discipline might include: Geology – structural analysis of deformed fore arc sediments; Biology – calling behavior of rainforest frogs; Physics – heat flow in cooling lavas; Chemistry – chemical weathering in tropical soils; Math – differential equations applied to volcanic eruptions; Computer Science – GIS mapping and data collection using hand-held Geopads.

Itinerary & Project Examples for 2008 Costa Rica Field Module

3/23 Su Flight to Costa Rica (Lodging: Apartotel La Sabana, San José)

3/24 Mo Day trip to crater of Poás Volcano and Alajuela Fault scarp

3/25 Tu Travel to Nicoya Peninsula (Lodging: Finca Los Caballos Nature Lodge, Cobano)

3/26-28 Nicoya Peninsula – Fore arc Tectonics Field Projects

We-Fr Project #1: Geologic mapping & stratigraphic column of uplifted seafloor basalt & marine sediments

Project #2: Structural analysis of folded and faulted trench-slope turbidites

3/29 Sa Travel to Valle Central (Lodging: Apartotel La Sabana, San José)

3/30 Sa Day trip to volcanic outcrops and/or Irazú Volcano

3/31 Mo Return Flight to US

Expected outcomes and assessment

The expected outcomes of this Field Studies Program include: 1) College of Science students will gain a new quality learning opportunity; 2) participating students will develop basic scientific skills of observation, note taking, and data collection; 3) students will learn organizational skills and discipline required for fieldwork; 4) students will learn applied field science techniques; 5) students will develop skills in data analysis, interpretation, and presentation of results; 6) student learning will be enriched through international travel and exposure to new environments and natural systems.

Assessment activities will include: 1) a pre/post-trip content test to assess student learning; 2) a required student field notebook recording daily activities, observations, data, and sketches (submitted for grade); 3) project presentations and discussion sessions during the trip to assess student comprehension; 4) a final report (submitted for grade); 5) project poster presentations in the College of Science Research Symposium; 6) a post-trip questionnaire and course evaluation form to assess student perceptions of the field experience; 7) a follow-up questionnaire emailed to course participants 1 year later, to evaluate long-term value of their field study experience.

Potential connections and extensions to other programs

The proposed course will be developed in consultation with the Cal Poly Pomona International Center. The Center currently facilitates a College of Agriculture study program in Costa Rica (FTS 499 - Food Systems in Developing Nations) led by Dr. Sancho-Madriz. This existing program will serve as a model for the development of the College of Science International Field Studies Program. The proposed field course will also build upon existing student learning opportunities in Costa Rica offered by the College of Science, including Geological Sciences senior research projects supervised by Dr. Marshall, and the Biological Sciences Tropical Field Biology Course (BIO 532L) led by emeritus professors Stewart and Szijj. Geology and Biology faculty have a long history of prior collaboration on field trips in Costa Rica, the Galapagos, Baja California, and the Western U.S. The impending retirements of Drs. Stewart and Szijj have left an uncertain future for the graduate level BIO 532L course. Depending on the interests of the Biology Department, the proposed International Field Studies Program would provide an avenue for continuation of this popular course, and establish a companion undergraduate course open to all College of Science majors.

References

Lonergan, N., and Andresen, L.W., 1988, Field-based education: Some theoretical considerations: Higher Education Research and Development, 7, 63-77.

Marshall, J.S., 2005, Costa Rica, Central America: A prime destination for international Earth science field experience: Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, 37, 191, Abs. 80-1.

Marshall, J.S., Gardner, T.W., and Protti, M., 2005, International field research with undergraduate students: Investigating active tectonics of the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica: Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union, 86, Fall Meeting Supplement, Abs. ED41B-03.

Timmer, A., 2004, Learning through doing: The importance of fieldwork in the education of the undergraduate: National Association for the Practice of Anthropology Bulletin, 22, 106-112.

Qualifications of Course Faculty

Dr. Jeff Marshall has over 18 years of experience conducting fieldwork, leading field trips, and directing student research projects in Costa Rica. He has co-authored 8 peer-reviewed papers on Costa Rican tectonics and geomorphology, and is currently involved in two NSF Costa Rica research initiatives (MARGINS and Continental Dynamics). Dr. Marshall first went to Costa Rica as a Peace Corps volunteer in the late 1980’s, and then conducted his M.S. (U.C. Santa Cruz) and Ph.D. (Penn State Univ.) field studies there in the 1990’s. Since 1998, he has supervised multiple undergraduate research projects in Costa Rica with Cal Poly Pomona, Franklin & Marshall College, and the Keck Geology Consortium. He has also led several multi-day Costa Rica geology field trips, involving logistical arrangements for dozens of participants, tour buses, lodging and meals (NSF MARGINS Program, 2001; Franklin & Marshall College, 2000; Keck Geology Consortium, 1998; Schoolcraft College, 1995). He recently participated as an invited faculty member on the Cal Poly Pomona Tropical Field Biology Course in Costa Rica (2006). Dr. Marshall maintains strong collaborative ties with colleagues at several Costa Rican universities and research institutions. He is fluent in Spanish and has a deep knowledge of Costa Rican culture, geography, and natural history.

For examples of Dr. Marshall’s prior student trips and projects in Costa Rica, please see:

http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/earlycareer/research/marshall.html

http://www.csupomona.edu/~marshall/students.htm

http://www.csupomona.edu/~marshall/bio532.htm

http://www.fandm.edu/x7895.xml

http://www.nsf-margins.org/SEIZE/CR-N/Marshall.et.al.01.pdf

http://keck.wooster.edu/archives/symposium/99/99toc.html

Dr. Jon Nourse has extensive experience conducting international fieldwork with undergraduate students in Sonora, Mexico. He is a recognized expert on the structural geology and tectonics of southern California and northwestern Mexico. For the past 12 years, he has been taking small groups of Geology majors to northern Sonora to map remote, unexplored terrain. In recent years, these trips have become a popular component of the Geology Department’s Field Module program (GSC 499). His field expertise and experience working with students in a Latin American country will greatly benefit the proposed International Field Studies Program in Costa Rica.

For examples of Dr. Nourse’s prior student trips and projects in Mexico, please see:

http://geology.csupomona.edu/janourse/default.htm

Department Chair’s statement of support:

Field studies are central to a geosciences education. The more field experience and the more diverse the setting the better. This is equally true for other disciplines. Virtually all Geology core courses, field modules, and senior thesis require field studies. The Geological Sciences Department requires students to complete either a summer field geology course or four field modules (GSC 491L, formerly GSC 499). The Department has successfully run field modules for approximately eight years. The chance to fulfill a core requirement and gain additional invaluable field exposure through an international experience is wonderful.

Drs. Marshall and Nourse have conducted field modules and faculty mentored field research in Costa Rica and Sonora, Mexico. Several senior theses have been based on field studies in Costa Rica and Sonora. Dr. Marshall has extensive field experience studying the geology of Costa Rica. His qualifications to lead this proposed field studies program are without question.

In summary, this is a fine opportunity that is similar to opportunities afforded students only at private institutions. The proposal has the potential to mesh with other existing programs, and incorporate the non-field based disciplines to yield a coherent College of Science Central American field studies initiative. This is a fine starting point.