학술논문

Using Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopes of Hair to Teach About Sustainable Agriculture Through Active Learning.
Document Type
Article
Source
Journal of Geoscience Education; Feb2013, Vol. 61 Issue 1, p59-67, 9p
Subject
Active learning
Curriculum
Carbon isotopes
Nitrogen isotopes
Stable isotopes
Sustainable agriculture
Quantitative research
Language
ISSN
10899995
Abstract
The call for reform of science education is nearly three decades old (National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983), but the implementation of such education improvements in the form of active learning techniques in large enrollment classes remains difficult. Here we present a class project designed to increase student involvement and quantitative analysis skills in a large enrollment lecture geared towards nonscience majors. We use the stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic analyses of hair to teach students about the impacts of industrial agriculture through quantitative assessment of diet in an environmental science course. Assessment of student learning, which was determined through exam questions and also through a feedback questionnaire, was overwhelmingly positive, demonstrating the useful of this technique in bringing active learning to the large enrollment classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]