EarthLabs: A Model for Supporting Undergraduate Student Inquiry About Change over Time and Space

Abstract

This study reports on the effectiveness of the online EarthLabs curriculum in high school and undergraduate classrooms. The EarthLabs curriculum is a suite of online inquiry-based activities that promotes understanding of Earth system science, climate change, and change over large temporal and spatial scales. The EarthLabs modules are designed with an investigative framework that is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Assessments were employed to understand student learning, and qualitative and quantitative findings indicate that implementation of EarthLabs significantly improved students’ conceptual understanding about climate change and that students were appropriately engaged with the online materials. The research activities produced a Climate Change Concept Inventory that can be used as a tool for summative assessment of students’ understanding along with the embedded formative assessments within the EarthLabs curriculum.