Strategies for Flipping Geology for Engineers with Limited Time and Resources

摘要

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.