When students first come to UBC, they often do not know what degree they will pursue. Many take a sample of introductory courses to find out what they are good at and what they like. EOSC 116 – Mesozoic Earth: Time of the Dinosaurs is one of these courses. There are no prerequisites to enrollment, which means that students can do well by having just a basic understanding of scientific principles. This results in a wide variety of students taking the class, with different backgrounds and levels of exposure to the subject matter. Those students who are in Arts often end up taking this course to obtain their science credits, while those who are interested in Earth and Ocean Sciences as a major take it for its combination of geology, geophysics, atmospheric sciences, oceanography and paleontology. Stuart Sutherland, one of the authors of this course, had exactly this multidisciplinary approach in mind when he designed the course. For him, it was important to expose students in various faculties to the diversity within science, and to the varied ways in which studies of the Earth can be approached.
The goal of EOSC 116 is to use a period of geological time as an example of how the Earth functions as a whole. Instead of looking at the planet as it is right now the course focuses on the Mesozoic era and this can help students appreciate the interconnected nature of systems and how they change over time. Dinosaurs are put in the context of everything that was happening on Earth in that specific era, which sets the stage for our historical and modern understanding of the group. Although these learning objectives remain the same, Stuart and his colleagues developed the course to be flexible enough that the different professors who teach the course can vary materials to reflect their specific areas of interest and expertise.
The decision to first introduce the course in an online format came partly because of the popularity of the on-campus version and partly because of the success of other Earth and Ocean Sciences courses that are already being offered online (EOSC 114, for example). This past January, the online version of the course was taught by Louise Longridge, an invertebrate paleontologist who earned her Ph.D. in Paleontology from UBC. The course is administered using the WebCT Vista interface, and is divided into five modules comprised of course notes and online videos. Students write multiple choice tests after each module, as well as a cumulative final exam at the end of the term. Throughout the course, conversation is generated by both students and the instructor in the discussion forum, which acts as an avenue for learners to address problems that they are having with the course material. Questions can also be asked by e-mail or in person at the on-campus Earth Course Assistance Centre. Taking the course on-campus as opposed to taking the course through distance education, students are exposed to a different level of interaction with the material. For example, when taking the course on-campus, students are typically in a lecture theatre with over two hundred other people; those students who have a hard time learning in such a setting can benefit from the more personal experience of online learning. However, both Louise and Stuart emphasize that when taking either the on-campus or online course, students should take responsibility for their learning by staying on top of the curriculum and asking questions as soon as they arise.
Although this course was only introduced in the online format this year, Stuart hopes that he can leverage the flexibility of online education to introduce Earth and Ocean Sciences to a wider audience. For example, outreach to First Nations learners who live in remote locations can help highlight the importance of Earth and Ocean Sciences in their communities. If learners of all backgrounds are able to look at geological systems with an historical perspective, we will be better equipped to deal with the issues that affect our planet today.