Contacting WWU Geology

About the WWU Geology Department

Mission Statement

The Geology Department at WWU is committed to excellence in both teaching and research. We believe the best way to accomplish our educational goals is to integrate active learning and research into the curriculum. For all of our students, we strive to create excitement about discovery and competence in application of the scientific method. We want to develop in all students an understanding of geological processes and their effects on the earth and society so that they will be environmentally responsible, scientifically literate citizens. We strive to produce majors with an interdisciplinary background in geology and the physical sciences who can do original research and effectively communicate the results. We foster a robust and active graduate program emphasizing independent and creative research and mastery of advanced geologic concepts.

Student Learning Objectives

Outcomes Assessment (currently undergoing revision as of 4/2009)

The Geology Department strives to produce graduates who know essential geological concepts, facts, and skills, and who are prepared to excel in their future careers by virtue of this knowledge, as well as skills in communication and critical thinking. The following are specific measurable goals, the assessment methods we plan to use to measure the degree to which we are meeting those goals, and details of the specific implementation for each. The approach we are taking is a multifaceted one, which incorporates a variety of tools we can use to measure the job we are doing as teachers and advisers.

Desired Outcome	Strategies	Assessment Method	Implementation Notes	Achievements
Students will have mastered the essential concepts and facts of geology, and related math, physics, and chemistry.	Classes build on one another, and student success in later courses reflects mastery of content from earlier courses.	Alumni questionnaires will link the knowledge gained to that required for jobs and advanced degrees.	Full understanding of one’s learning may not come until one has graduated and is either in a career or pursuing an advanced degree. In order to measure competency in this way alumni surveys will be sent out to alumni who are three years past graduation. This surveying will be done approximately every two years, beginning in 2006-2007.	Employer feedback indicates that our alumni have an exceptional knowledge base.
Pre- and post-major confidence surveys will demonstrate student perceptions of their concept mastery through the curriculum.	A confidence survey polls a student’s perception of his or her knowledge of a topic. These surveys will be administered through an interactive website, which will allow detailed analysis of the responses. The same survey will be administered when the student declares the major, and just prior to graduation. Increase in concept mastery as a result of the geology curriculum will be demonstrated by the increase in student scores. This will begin in 2009-2010.
Track number of alumni pursuing earth science.
Performance on capstone course exams / projects	This assessment is ongoing: Geology 410/411 instructors regularly assess the strengths and weaknesses of the cohort and provide feedback to instructors of courses that are prerequisites for the capstone.
Students will be proficient at the basic field skills of geological inquiry.	Integrate field trips and field research projects into select courses.	Tracking of capstone course performance (Summer field camp -- Geol 410/411) will highlight strengths and weaknesses over time.	This assessment is ongoing: Geology 410/411 instructors regularly assess the strengths and weaknesses of the cohort and provide feedback to instructors of courses that are prerequisites for the capstone.	Field trips and field work have been added to (or enhanced in) numerous courses: 318 and 406 now are held in the field once every other year; 310 has a strong field laboratory component; 415 involves field-based research projects. Summer field camp now is taught by three faculty resulting in a more diverse set of field skills / experiences. Employer feedback indicates the excellent field skills of our alumni. Because fieldwork typically is done by teams and requires integrating diverse disciplines, it results in achievement in these areas as well.
Alumni questionnaires will assess field skills used in industry or advanced degrees.	This surveying began in 2006-2007.
Students will be able to work with others to accomplish shared goals.		Tracking of capstone course performance will shed light on this goal, as many of the tasks are performed in small groups.	This assessment is ongoing: Geology 410/411 instructors regularly assess the strengths and weaknesses of the cohort and provide feedback to instructors of courses that are prerequisites for the capstone.
	Alumni questionnaires will also provide insight into the preparedness of students for teamwork in a professional environment.	This surveying began in 2006-2007.
Students will be able to effectively communicate their ideas, both verbally and in written form.	- Oral reports and written reports are required in many geology courses. - Writing intensive and some other courses use the revision process to improve writing. - Geology courses for majors and graduate students provide writing opportunities with different topics, different fields of geology, and different styles. - Students completing senior theses or MS theses have additional experience writing and both present their results orally to the department with help from faculty. - In some courses, student presentations are reviewed by their peers in the course.	Alumni and senior exit questionnaires will provide feedback on the communication skills of our graduates.	These assessors began in 2006-2007.
- Communication skills can also be assessed by compiling records of the proportion of students who receive outside grants, who have abstracts accepted for publication and presentation at conferences, who have work accepted by peer reviewed journals, and who receive best MS thesis awards.
Students will be critical thinkers (skeptical) and develop their analytical skills; they will formulate hypotheses and test them using rules of evidence	- Students will be exposed to opportunities to evaluate data and given an appreciation of the importance of scale to assessing results. - Students will learn how to find additional geological information. - In some courses, students are asked to think critically about a geological paper or talk and evaluate it. - In several courses students carry out original research projects with discussion covering how well the conclusions reached are supported by the evidence.	- Faculty will evaluate the discussion sections of students’s papers. - Critical thinking will be evaluated annually in the capstone field geology course. - The department will attempt to get feedback from students’s employers.
Students will be competitive in graduate school admissions.		Tracking of graduate school acceptances through senior exit and alumni questionnaires will allow us to determine our graduates’ competitiveness. Alumni tracking will provide a longer-term view.	These assessors began in 2006-2007.
Students will be competitive in industry.
Students will feel that they learned a wide range of useful knowledge and skills, and that their instructors were effective and efficient.		Senior exit interviews with the department chair will elicit student perceptions of the program and their experiences in it.	Exit interviews began Winter quarter 2006.
Use of research technologies (these include GIS, materials analysis, geochemical equipment, geophysical equipment, mapping and surveying equipment	Integrate GIS across the curriculum Faculty training in GIS Development of Geol 213 (GIS in Geology) Development of modules for integration of GIS into select courses	How many courses effectively use GIS Alumni survey of our graduates’ GIS skills		Wilder Foundation faculty development grant in GIS (for whole department) Geol 213 will be taught in 2008-2009 GIS modules in Geol ….
Train students to use analytical equipment in coursework and research projects (these include …) Training sessions for students by departmental technician and faculty teaching the course Projects in classes Undergrad and graduate research projects	Grades for in class research projects, Presentation and publication of research results Alumni satisfaction survey of our graduates’ skills in these research technologies		XXX senior theses completed XXX student presentations at local and national meetings xXX classes involve research projects using these technologies
Computer literacy (basic software, discipline specific software)	Use of various computer technologies across the curriculum Class projects requiring computer skills	Grades for in class computer-based projects Alumni satisfaction survey of our graduates’ computer literacy skills		Successful development of department-hosted computer lab Presentations requiring computer skills in classes Presentations requiring computer skills in local and national meetings
Identify scope of research problem	(a) Individual & group original research projects in strategically selected classes	Completion and faculty feedback on project proposals, multiple drafts;		Class research projects that spawn senior thesis projects
Identify, access and critically evaluate previous research in literature	Same as above; Specific class assignments to use the literature	Faculty feedback on papers and presentations		Challenge: Incoming students seem to have less experience with primary literature research
Collection of data, analysis, evaluate results	Same as above; Individual field and laboratory exercises; Use of appropriate technology; Use of analytical software (e.g. Excel, MathCad, GIS, MatLab) in class exercises	Faculty feedback on papers and presentations
Synthesis of results and literature	Same as above;	Faculty feedback on papers and presentations
Communicate results	Written research papers and class presentations	Faculty feedback on papers and presentations		Students publish abstracts, papers; present at Scholars’ Week and professional conferences
Increase awareness of geology within community	Interaction between K-12 classes and Faculty (e.g., tours of department, on/off campus presentations, judging science fairs, media events, etc)	Implement system of recording outreach events. Maintain record of department tours WWU office of University Relations tracks faculty participation in community	Events reported to CGS and compiled? Add link on Dept. web page listing outreach events?	## of department tours in 2006-2007 “It’s Your Arboretum” Day, June 7 2008
Increase awareness of geology within WWU	Team teaching classes with other departments Co-listing classes with other departments Participation in campus events	Track number of cross-curricular courses taught Track number of campus participation events		Monsters FIG courses Science of Music Earth and Its Weather Dinosaurs Earth Materials Participation in Teaching and Learning Academy Really Big Weekend, Showtime weekend, etc.

Desired Outcome

Strategies

Assessment Method

Implementation Notes

Achievements

Students will have mastered the essential concepts and facts of geology, and related math, physics, and chemistry.

Classes build on one another, and student success in later courses reflects mastery of content from earlier courses.

Alumni questionnaires will link the knowledge gained to that required for jobs and advanced degrees.

Full understanding of one’s learning may not come until one has graduated and is either in a career or pursuing an advanced degree. In order to measure competency in this way alumni surveys will be sent out to alumni who are three years past graduation. This surveying will be done approximately every two years, beginning in 2006-2007.

Employer feedback indicates that our alumni have an exceptional knowledge base.

Pre- and post-major confidence surveys will demonstrate student perceptions of their concept mastery through the curriculum.

A confidence survey polls a student’s perception of his or her knowledge of a topic. These surveys will be administered through an interactive website, which will allow detailed analysis of the responses. The same survey will be administered when the student declares the major, and just prior to graduation. Increase in concept mastery as a result of the geology curriculum will be demonstrated by the increase in student scores. This will begin in 2009-2010.

Track number of alumni pursuing earth science.

Performance on capstone course exams / projects

This assessment is ongoing: Geology 410/411 instructors regularly assess the strengths and weaknesses of the cohort and provide feedback to instructors of courses that are prerequisites for the capstone.

Students will be proficient at the basic field skills of geological inquiry.

Integrate field trips and field research projects into select courses.

Tracking of capstone course performance (Summer field camp -- Geol 410/411) will highlight strengths and weaknesses over time.

Field trips and field work have been added to (or enhanced in) numerous courses: 318 and 406 now are held in the field once every other year; 310 has a strong field laboratory component; 415 involves field-based research projects.
Summer field camp now is taught by three faculty resulting in a more diverse set of field skills / experiences.
Employer feedback indicates the excellent field skills of our alumni.
Because fieldwork typically is done by teams and requires integrating diverse disciplines, it results in achievement in these areas as well.

Alumni questionnaires will assess field skills used in industry or advanced degrees.

This surveying began in 2006-2007.

Students will be able to work with others to accomplish shared goals.

Tracking of capstone course performance will shed light on this goal, as many of the tasks are performed in small groups.

Alumni questionnaires will also provide insight into the preparedness of students for teamwork in a professional environment.

This surveying began in 2006-2007.

Students will be able to effectively communicate their ideas, both verbally and in written form.

- Oral reports and written reports are required in many geology courses.

- Writing intensive and some other courses use the revision process to improve writing.

- Geology courses for majors and graduate students provide writing opportunities with different topics, different fields of geology, and different styles.

- Students completing senior theses or MS theses have additional experience writing and both present their results orally to the department with help from faculty.

- In some courses, student presentations are reviewed by their peers in the course.

Alumni and senior exit questionnaires will provide feedback on the communication skills of our graduates.

These assessors began in 2006-2007.

- Communication skills can also be assessed by compiling records of the proportion of students who receive outside grants, who have abstracts accepted for publication and presentation at conferences, who have work accepted by peer reviewed journals, and who receive best MS thesis awards.

Students will be critical thinkers (skeptical) and develop their analytical skills; they will formulate hypotheses and test them using rules of evidence

- Students will be exposed to opportunities to evaluate data and given an appreciation of the importance of scale to assessing results.

- Students will learn how to find additional geological information.

- In some courses, students are asked to think critically about a geological paper or talk and evaluate it.

- In several courses students carry out original research projects with discussion covering how well the conclusions reached are supported by the evidence.

- Faculty will evaluate the discussion sections of students’s papers.

- Critical thinking will be evaluated annually in the capstone field geology course.

- The department will attempt to get feedback from students’s employers.

Students will be competitive in graduate school admissions.

Tracking of graduate school acceptances through senior exit and alumni questionnaires will allow us to determine our graduates’ competitiveness. Alumni tracking will provide a longer-term view.

These assessors began in 2006-2007.

Students will be competitive in industry.

Students will feel that they learned a wide range of useful knowledge and skills, and that their instructors were effective and efficient.

Senior exit interviews with the department chair will elicit student perceptions of the program and their experiences in it.

Exit interviews began Winter quarter 2006.

Use of research technologies (these include GIS, materials analysis, geochemical equipment, geophysical equipment, mapping and surveying equipment

Integrate GIS across the curriculum

Faculty training in GIS
Development of Geol 213 (GIS in Geology)
Development of modules for integration of GIS into select courses

How many courses effectively use GIS
Alumni survey of our graduates’ GIS skills

Wilder Foundation faculty development grant in GIS (for whole department)
Geol 213 will be taught in 2008-2009
GIS modules in Geol ….

Train students to use analytical equipment in coursework and research projects (these include …)

Training sessions for students by departmental technician and faculty teaching the course
Projects in classes
Undergrad and graduate research projects

Grades for in class research projects,
Presentation and publication of research results
Alumni satisfaction survey of our graduates’ skills in these research technologies

XXX senior theses completed
XXX student presentations at local and national meetings
xXX classes involve research projects using these technologies

Computer literacy (basic software, discipline specific software)

Use of various computer technologies across the curriculum

Class projects requiring computer skills

Grades for in class computer-based projects
Alumni satisfaction survey of our graduates’ computer literacy skills

Successful development of department-hosted computer lab
Presentations requiring computer skills in classes
Presentations requiring computer skills in local and national meetings

Identify scope of research problem

(a) Individual & group original research projects in strategically selected classes

Completion and faculty feedback on project proposals, multiple drafts;

Class research projects that spawn senior thesis projects

Identify, access and critically evaluate previous research in literature

Same as above;

Specific class assignments to use the literature

Faculty feedback on papers and presentations

Challenge: Incoming students seem to have less experience with primary literature research

Collection of data, analysis, evaluate results

Same as above;

Individual field and laboratory exercises;

Use of appropriate technology; Use of analytical software (e.g. Excel, MathCad, GIS, MatLab) in class exercises

Faculty feedback on papers and presentations

Synthesis of results and literature

Same as above;

Faculty feedback on papers and presentations

Communicate results

Written research papers and class presentations

Faculty feedback on papers and presentations

Students publish abstracts, papers; present at Scholars’ Week and professional conferences

Increase awareness of geology within community

Interaction between K-12 classes and Faculty (e.g., tours of department, on/off campus presentations, judging science fairs, media events, etc)

Implement system of recording outreach events.

Maintain record of department tours

WWU office of University Relations tracks faculty participation in community

Events reported to CGS and compiled?

Add link on Dept. web page listing outreach events?

## of department tours in 2006-2007

“It’s Your Arboretum” Day, June 7 2008

Increase awareness of geology within WWU

Team teaching classes with other departments

Co-listing classes with other departments

Participation in campus events

Track number of cross-curricular courses taught

Track number of campus participation events

Monsters

FIG courses

Science of Music

Earth and Its Weather

Dinosaurs

Earth Materials Participation in Teaching and Learning Academy Really Big Weekend, Showtime weekend, etc.