Oceanography (43) This project seeks to transform the physical oceanography curriculum at Coastal Carolina University (CCU) from a traditional lecture-lab structure to a technology-rich, collaborative learning environment by adapting the SCALE-UP physics instructional model (from North Carolina State University) and the Open Source Physics (OSP) curricular materials (from Davidson College). This project combines the lecture and lab sections into an integrated instructional block, creates collaborative learning groups among the students, develops in-class conceptual questions and activities to enhance student understanding, integrates computer analysis of oceanographic data into the course, adapts Java-based physics simulation applets to model oceanographic phenomena, and disseminates the results to other faculty and K-12 teachers in the area. Intellectual Merit: This transformation impacts every marine science major at CCU, as well as other majors seeking the marine science or physics minors. It serves to increase students conceptual understanding of physical oceanography, which is vitally important to all marine scientists. This project improves their problem-solving ability and their ability to do problems and research activities in groups. Broader Impacts: This project advances learning and discovery within the physical oceanography curriculum by adapting successful teaching methods and materials from other universities and applying them at CCU. It broadens the participation of women in this field by adopting pedagogical techniques that have been proven to increase the success of women in the physical sciences. It enhances the educational infrastructure at CCU by adapting OSP curricular materials to the physical oceanography curriculum. This project disseminates these results to CCU faculty and local K-12 educators through workshops, and nationally through presentations at national geoscience meetings. Finally, this project benefits society as a whole by improving the physical oceanographic understanding of the next generation of marine scientists.
