Making Geology Relevant to Non-Science Majors Through the Environmental Site Assessment Project

Abstract

This article reports on the effectiveness of The Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) project, which was developed to make geology more relevant to non-science majors in Appalachian State University's Environmental and Applied Geology course. The authors describe the directed-inquiry approach, in which students are guided in applying the geoscience theory learned in the formal classroom setting to the reality of their own independent research projects. Student survey results indicated that this project had a positive impact on students' perceptions of the value and relevance of geoscience. Educational levels: Graduate or professional