The geology faculty are convinced that achieving this goal requires us to pay less attention to what students know than to how they come to know and how they use knowledge. This fundamental element of our departmental philosophy has guided us in formulating a curriculum and a pedagogical structure that maximizes the direct involvement of students in their own education. Establishing a collaborative culture is perhaps the most important prerequisite to creating an environment in which students are willing to participate actively in their own learning. By this I mean a classroom and departmental ethos that nurtures participation and sharing and rewards intellectual curiosity. To this end we have tried to create as non-competitive an environment as possible.
Students typically work in teams on lab and homework assignments and in-class exercises.
Support is provided not only by faculty, but also by a large cadre of junior and senior majors who serve as teaching assistants in all of our introductory and core courses. These TAs do not formally teach classes or labs, but they help answer questions, and are available outside of scheduled meeting times for assistance. They play an important role in passing on the departmental culture to new students. A second ingredient is to insure that much of the work students do is investigative and open-ended. Most labs, even at the introductory level, require students to gather real data, discuss them with their teammates, and prepare a report that involves synthesis, integration, and interpretation.