Encouraging active participation in science exploration in rural Virginia

Abstract:

In rural locations where scientific educational outreach can be limited and difficult to accomplish, it is particularly important to provide opportunities for students to discover new avenues of learning. In southwestern Virginia and on the Eastern shore of Virginia, we sought to develop interest in continuing education through exposure to a scientific topic, namely ocean acidification. Students from AP biology, general biology, and environmental science classes learned about the background science behind ocean acidification and how to develop research questions, create an experimental system with proper methodology, and how to interpret results. Eliciting prior knowledge, students were engaged with connecting their base of information to new topics and applications and encouraged to consider how to work through research oriented problems using methods scientists commonly practice. On the Eastern Shore, students were given the chance to further develop and fortify their learning through debating given solutions that could address the problem of ocean acidification. Part of the exercise required using peer-reviewed articles, which were scaffolded exercises to develop their ability to acquire pertinent information and gain confidence in their ability to tackle seemingly difficult tasks. In southwestern Virginia, students expressed newfound motivation to better apply themselves to their existing science coursework, with some voicing a new desire to study science as their declared major in undergraduate studies.