NSF workshop on educational experiences in atmospheric science field campaigns
In late May, an NSF workshop on educational experiences in atmospheric science field campaigns took place at CSU’s foothills campus with over 40 participants. The workshop brought together a multi-institutional team of atmospheric scientists, field campaign practitioners (aircraft, ground, mobile), and atmospheric science education researchers with a common goal of advancing understanding of how students think and learn through authentic, experiential learning — gaining understanding through doing and reflecting on experiences. The team worked to develop a statement paper for the community that highlights the learning gaps within the current field campaign model and identifies opportunities for embedding education research in atmospheric science field campaigns.
CSU Associate Professor Melissa Burt and Professor Emily Fischer served on the organizing committee alongside representation from NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, University of Nebraska Lincoln, Towson University, and University of Notre Dame.
“The workshop was very engaging and exciting and served as a unique opportunity to bring field campaign practitioners and educational researchers together in the same room,” said Burt. “I really enjoyed the collaborative spirit and the community we brought together – there was a lot of learning on all sides that took place in just a few short days, and I am sure a lot more is to come. Excited to see what we can do together.”
Workshop participants took a field trip to NSF NCAR Research Aviation Facility, provided scholarly talks on the history of atmospheric science education research, discussed recent field campaigns with educational components, and engaged in interactive activities including a World Cafe with working groups developing concept maps on ways to co-design field campaign experiences to include both physical science and educational research questions.
“As a student, it was eye-opening to see how field campaigns and science education can come together to support deeper learning,” said Daniela Guevara, “I learned a lot about each stage of a campaign, what students take away from it, and the challenges involved. The World Café was one of my favorite parts, it led to great conversations about proposal writing, teamwork, cultural integration, and adaptability. The whole experience really motivated me to integrate these ideas into my own research and future fieldwork.”
