Science education should be designed to promote critical thinking, problem-solving skills and creativity. In this context, Antarctic Science and Policy: Interdisciplinary Research Education (ASPIRE) will involve students in a creative educational environment where they will learn by refining questions; designing and implementing self-directed projects; and contributing to group decision-making efforts. ASPIRE will be developed over 2 years as a model capstone course for Earth system science curricula which are emerging in universities across the nation. Each student in ASPIRE will become an "ambassador" for the purpose of developing and negotiating recommendations which will be presented in writing and orally in Mock Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings. Interactive multi-media courseware will be designed to help students enhance their inquiry skills. Additional student-teacher interactions will be facilitated through the World Wide Web site which will be upgraded at the Byrd Polar Research Center. An Advisory Committee will be established to ensure that ASPIRE will be successfully designed, implemented, evaluated and disseminated. Evaluation will be ongoing throughout the project to ensure that ASPIRE (1) employs appropriate pedagogical theories and practices, (2) contributes to student knowledge gain, and (3) fosters creative information seeking and decision-making. Beyond introducing the unique fusion of international and interdisciplinary science in Antarctica, ASPIRE will help students develop the Socratic skills which are inherent to learning and thriving in our increasingly complex society.
