Translating GER Results into Practice

To be truly transformational geoscience education research must positively impact teaching and learning. Translating GER results into practice does not happen automatically; it takes effort at multiple levels. Results of GER must feedback into practice, supporting practitioner efforts to provide highly effective learning experiences for all students in the geosciences.

Make Your GER Results More Accessible to Practitioners

Individual effort makes a difference. Geoscience education researchers can be agents of change by providing GER results and teaching innovations to practitioners in easily accessible ways.

Opportunities within Units

Departments and programs lie at the interface of research and teaching. There are many opportunities within units to encourage a cultural shift where curricular decisions and TA training are evidence-based, and scholarship on teaching and learning (e.g., action research) regularly inform practice.

Opportunities at the Institutional Level

Institutional change can be slow, but geoscience education researchers and other DBER faculty can help encourage scholarly approaches to teaching and learning through their committee work and other institutional service.

Opportunities Beyond Institutions

GER results (e.g., curricular innovations) from multi-institutional studies need to be disseminated nationally to support widespread adoption by practitioners. Leading short courses, developing online resources and textbooks, and presenting GER results in meaningful ways to practitioner audiences can make a difference.

References

Henderson, C., R. Cole, J. Froyd, D. Gilbuena Friedrichsen, R. Khatri, C. Stanford (2015). Designing Educational Innovations for Sustained Adoption. Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA: Increase the Impact. http://increasetheimpact.com

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Scott Brande, Christine Clark, Kathy Ellins, Sara Harris, Karen Kortz, Carla McAuliffe, Dave Mogk, Dean Moosavi, Carrie Nelms, and Steve Semken who were part of a working group that helped develop this section of the toolbox.