Sociohydrologic Systems Thinking: An Analysis of Undergraduate Students’ Operationalization and Modeling of Coupled Human-Water Systems

One of the keys to science and environmental literacy is systems thinking. Learning how to think about the interactions between systems, the far-reaching effects of a system, and the dynamic nature of systems are all critical outcomes of science learning. However, students need support to develop systems thinking skills in undergraduate geoscience classrooms. While systems thinking-focused instruction has the potential to benefit student learning, gaps exist in our understanding of students’ use of systems thinking to operationalize and model SHS, as well as their metacognitive evaluation of systems thinking. To address this need, we have designed, implemented, refined, and studied an introductory-level, interdisciplinary course focused on coupled human-water, or sociohydrologic, systems. Data for this study comes from three consecutive iterations of the course and involves student models and explanations for a socio-hydrologic issue (n = 163). To analyze this data, we counted themed features of the drawn models and applied an operationalization rubric to the written responses. Analyses of the written explanations reveal statistically-significant differences between underlying categories of systems thinking (F(5, 768) = 401.6, p \u3c 0.05). Students were best able to operationalize their systems thinking about problem identification (M = 2.22, SD = 0.73) as compared to unintended consequences (M = 1.43, SD = 1.11). Student-generated systems thinking models revealed statistically significant differences between system components, patterns, and mechanisms, F(2, 132) = 3.06, p \u3c 0.05. Students focused most strongly on system components (M = 13.54, SD = 7.15) as compared to related processes or mechanisms. Qualitative data demonstrated three types of model limitation including scope/scale, temporal, and specific components/mechanisms/patterns excluded. These findings have implications for supporting systems thinking in undergraduate geoscience classrooms, as well as insight into links between these two skills

GEOSCIENCE EDUCATION RESEARCH: TRENDS AND APPLICATIONS IN UNDERGRADUATE COURSES

Water resources are progressively under pressure from anthropogenic uses. Students need to learn about water systems as they are the future decision-makers and problem solvers who will be faced with unknown challenges in the future. The overarching goals of this dissertation were: 1) to identify ways in which geoscience instructors are incorporating systems thinking and science modeling in their teaching along with the accompanying methods for improving systems thinking and modeling implementation and 2) explore how the implementation of science modeling and systems thinking increase student evaluation of models and the understanding of hydrologic content. Data for these studies came from the Geoscience Educators Research (GER) 2016 survey data, student assignments and interviews surrounding the Water Balance Model, and student responses from a sociohydrologic systems thinking assignment. First, GER survey data was analyzed with significant variation observed in reported frequency of science modeling and systems thinking (SMST) practices with the highest levels of SMST reported in the atmospheric and environmental sciences, those who emphasize research-based, student centered pedagogical methods, those who recently made course revisions, and those who reported high levels of participation in educational professional development. Therefore, to test if this was replicable in subsequent work, we examined a course at UNL, SCIL 109: Water in Society, a novel course. Courses in SCIL (Science Literacy) are housed in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, are interdisciplinary, and include both human and scientific dimensions. A case study emerged from this data presenting the use of a computer-based water model over three iterations of SCIL 109. Results indicate that students regardless of year in college, gender, or major can effectively reason about the Water Balance Model. Specific investigation into student performance and reasoning surrounding the Water Balance Model indicate that model evaluation and understanding of core hydrologic content increased from 2017 to 2018 in part due to a flipped classroom format. Finally, the systems thinking assignment from SCIL 109 was studied using mixed-methods to investigate student operationalization of a sociohydrologic system. Results show that students scored highest on problem identification from their written work and mechanism inclusion form their drawn models. Each of these studies contributes to the overall body of knowledge surrounding undergraduate geoscience education. Adviser: Cory T. Forbe

Sociohydrologic Systems Thinking: An Analysis of Undergraduate Students’ Operationalization and Modeling of Coupled Human-Water Systems

One of the keys to science and environmental literacy is systems thinking. Learning how to think about the interactions between systems, the far-reaching effects of a system, and the dynamic nature of systems are all critical outcomes of science learning. However, students need support to develop systems thinking skills in undergraduate geoscience classrooms. While systems thinking-focused instruction has the potential to benefit student learning, gaps exist in our understanding of students’ use of systems thinking to operationalize and model SHS, as well as their metacognitive evaluation of systems thinking. To address this need, we have designed, implemented, refined, and studied an introductory-level, interdisciplinary course focused on coupled human-water, or sociohydrologic, systems. Data for this study comes from three consecutive iterations of the course and involves student models and explanations for a socio-hydrologic issue (n = 163). To analyze this data, we counted themed features of the drawn models and applied an operationalization rubric to the written responses. Analyses of the written explanations reveal statistically-significant differences between underlying categories of systems thinking (F(5, 768) = 401.6, p \u3c 0.05). Students were best able to operationalize their systems thinking about problem identification (M = 2.22, SD = 0.73) as compared to unintended consequences (M = 1.43, SD = 1.11). Student-generated systems thinking models revealed statistically significant differences between system components, patterns, and mechanisms, F(2, 132) = 3.06, p \u3c 0.05. Students focused most strongly on system components (M = 13.54, SD = 7.15) as compared to related processes or mechanisms. Qualitative data demonstrated three types of model limitation including scope/scale, temporal, and specific components/mechanisms/patterns excluded. These findings have implications for supporting systems thinking in undergraduate geoscience classrooms, as well as insight into links between these two skills

Cultivating Water Literacy in STEM Education: Undergraduates’ Socio-Scientific Reasoning about Socio-Hydrologic Issues

Water-literate individuals effectively reason about the hydrologic concepts that underlie socio-hydrological issues (SHI), but functional water literacy also requires concomitant reasoning about the societal, non-hydrological aspects of SHI. Therefore, this study explored the potential for the socio-scientific reasoning construct (SSR), which includes consideration of the complexity of issues, the perspectives of stakeholders involved, the need for ongoing inquiry, skepticism about information sources, and the affordances of science toward the resolution of the issue, to aid undergraduates in acquiring such reasoning skills. In this fixed, embedded mixed methods study (N = 91), we found SHI to hold great potential as meaningful contexts for the development of water literacy, and that SSR is a viable and useful construct for better understanding undergraduates’ reasoning about the hydrological and non-hydrological aspects of SHI. The breadth of reasoning sources to which participants referred and the depth of the SSR they exhibited in justifying those sources varied within and between the dimensions of SSR. A number of participants’ SSR was highly limited. Implications for operationalizing, measuring, and describing undergraduate students’ SSR, as well as for supporting its development for use in research and the classroom, are discussed

GEOSCIENCE EDUCATION RESEARCH: TRENDS AND APPLICATIONS IN UNDERGRADUATE COURSES

Water resources are progressively under pressure from anthropogenic uses. Students need to learn about water systems as they are the future decision-makers and problem solvers who will be faced with unknown challenges in the future. The overarching goals of this dissertation were: 1) to identify ways in which geoscience instructors are incorporating systems thinking and science modeling in their teaching along with the accompanying methods for improving systems thinking and modeling implementation and 2) explore how the implementation of science modeling and systems thinking increase student evaluation of models and the understanding of hydrologic content. Data for these studies came from the Geoscience Educators Research (GER) 2016 survey data, student assignments and interviews surrounding the Water Balance Model, and student responses from a sociohydrologic systems thinking assignment. First, GER survey data was analyzed with significant variation observed in reported frequency of science modeling and systems thinking (SMST) practices with the highest levels of SMST reported in the atmospheric and environmental sciences, those who emphasize research-based, student centered pedagogical methods, those who recently made course revisions, and those who reported high levels of participation in educational professional development. Therefore, to test if this was replicable in subsequent work, we examined a course at UNL, SCIL 109: Water in Society, a novel course. Courses in SCIL (Science Literacy) are housed in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, are interdisciplinary, and include both human and scientific dimensions. A case study emerged from this data presenting the use of a computer-based water model over three iterations of SCIL 109. Results indicate that students regardless of year in college, gender, or major can effectively reason about the Water Balance Model. Specific investigation into student performance and reasoning surrounding the Water Balance Model indicate that model evaluation and understanding of core hydrologic content increased from 2017 to 2018 in part due to a flipped classroom format. Finally, the systems thinking assignment from SCIL 109 was studied using mixed-methods to investigate student operationalization of a sociohydrologic system. Results show that students scored highest on problem identification from their written work and mechanism inclusion form their drawn models. Each of these studies contributes to the overall body of knowledge surrounding undergraduate geoscience education. Adviser: Cory T. Forbe

Geoscience Education Research: Trends and Applications in Undergraduate Courses

Water resources are progressively under pressure from anthropogenic uses. Students need to learn about water systems as they are the future decision-makers and problem solvers who will be faced with unknown challenges in the future. The overarching goals of this dissertation were: 1) to identify ways in which geoscience instructors are incorporating systems thinking and science modeling in their teaching along with the accompanying methods for improving systems thinking and modeling implementation and 2) explore how the implementation of science modeling and systems thinking increase student evaluation of models and the understanding of hydrologic content. Data for these studies came from the Geoscience Educators Research (GER) 2016 survey data, student assignments and interviews surrounding the Water Balance Model, and student responses from a sociohydrologic systems thinking assignment. First, GER survey data was analyzed with significant variation observed in reported frequency of science modeling and systems thinking (SMST) practices with the highest levels of SMST reported in the atmospheric and environmental sciences, those who emphasize research-based, student centered pedagogical methods, those who recently made course revisions, and those who reported high levels of participation in educational professional development. Therefore, to test if this was replicable in subsequent work, we examined a course at UNL, SCIL 109: Water in Society, a novel course. Courses in SCIL (Science Literacy) are housed in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, are interdisciplinary, and include both human and scientific dimensions. A case study emerged from this data presenting the use of a computer-based water model over three iterations of SCIL 109. Results indicate that students regardless of year in college, gender, or major can effectively reason about the Water Balance Model. Specific investigation into student performance and reasoning surrounding the Water Balance Model indicate that model evaluation and understanding of core hydrologic content increased from 2017 to 2018 in part due to a flipped classroom format. Finally, the systems thinking assignment from SCIL 109 was studied using mixed-methods to investigate student operationalization of a sociohydrologic system. Results show that students scored highest on problem identification from their written work and mechanism inclusion form their drawn models. Each of these studies contributes to the overall body of knowledge surrounding undergraduate geoscience education

Geoscience Education Research: Trends and Applications in Undergraduate Courses

Water resources are progressively under pressure from anthropogenic uses. Students need to learn about water systems as they are the future decision-makers and problem solvers who will be faced with unknown challenges in the future. The overarching goals of this dissertation were: 1) to identify ways in which geoscience instructors are incorporating systems thinking and science modeling in their teaching along with the accompanying methods for improving systems thinking and modeling implementation and 2) explore how the implementation of science modeling and systems thinking increase student evaluation of models and the understanding of hydrologic content. Data for these studies came from the Geoscience Educators Research (GER) 2016 survey data, student assignments and interviews surrounding the Water Balance Model, and student responses from a sociohydrologic systems thinking assignment. First, GER survey data was analyzed with significant variation observed in reported frequency of science modeling and systems thinking (SMST) practices with the highest levels of SMST reported in the atmospheric and environmental sciences, those who emphasize research-based, student centered pedagogical methods, those who recently made course revisions, and those who reported high levels of participation in educational professional development. Therefore, to test if this was replicable in subsequent work, we examined a course at UNL, SCIL 109: Water in Society, a novel course. Courses in SCIL (Science Literacy) are housed in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, are interdisciplinary, and include both human and scientific dimensions. A case study emerged from this data presenting the use of a computer-based water model over three iterations of SCIL 109. Results indicate that students regardless of year in college, gender, or major can effectively reason about the Water Balance Model. Specific investigation into student performance and reasoning surrounding the Water Balance Model indicate that model evaluation and understanding of core hydrologic content increased from 2017 to 2018 in part due to a flipped classroom format. Finally, the systems thinking assignment from SCIL 109 was studied using mixed-methods to investigate student operationalization of a sociohydrologic system. Results show that students scored highest on problem identification from their written work and mechanism inclusion form their drawn models. Each of these studies contributes to the overall body of knowledge surrounding undergraduate geoscience education

Cultivating Water Literacy in STEM Education: Undergraduates’ Socio-Scientific Reasoning about Socio-Hydrologic Issues

Water-literate individuals effectively reason about the hydrologic concepts that underlie socio-hydrological issues (SHI), but functional water literacy also requires concomitant reasoning about the societal, non-hydrological aspects of SHI. Therefore, this study explored the potential for the socio-scientific reasoning construct (SSR), which includes consideration of the complexity of issues, the perspectives of stakeholders involved, the need for ongoing inquiry, skepticism about information sources, and the affordances of science toward the resolution of the issue, to aid undergraduates in acquiring such reasoning skills. In this fixed, embedded mixed methods study (N = 91), we found SHI to hold great potential as meaningful contexts for the development of water literacy, and that SSR is a viable and useful construct for better understanding undergraduates’ reasoning about the hydrological and non-hydrological aspects of SHI. The breadth of reasoning sources to which participants referred and the depth of the SSR they exhibited in justifying those sources varied within and between the dimensions of SSR. A number of participants’ SSR was highly limited. Implications for operationalizing, measuring, and describing undergraduate students’ SSR, as well as for supporting its development for use in research and the classroom, are discussed