The author makes a case for fieldwork as having a strong capacity for increasing both science and nonscience majors' abilities to learn complex concepts, with the added benefit of actively engaging minority and female students in science.

Interdisciplinary field study courses at 2-year colleges can provide an opportunity to enhance student learning. The authors present here an 11-day interdisciplinary field-study course designed for nonscience majors at a 2-year college. Using a theoretical learning framework that emphasizes cognitive and metacognitive gains, the field study…

According to Carl Sagan (1987), "Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge." Field studies and undergraduate research provide students with the best opportunities for "thinking" about science, while at the same time acquiring a body of knowledge. Natural History of Tropical Carbonate Ecosystems is a…

Describes a biology course which is heavily based on field studies. Different aspects of community influences are considered and individual projects are undertaken. (PS)

Describes a course on amphibian research for environmental science majors. Involves students in field studies and introduces them to investigative research. Evaluates the course. (Contains 19 references.) (YDS)

Describes a course (with a framework loosely based on the environmental impact statement) in which students learn research methods as they cooperate in interdisciplinary field research projects. Includes a rationale for the course, a generalized outline of field experiences, and examples of student projects (both on-campus briefings and field site…

Introduces a case study on speciation and evolutionary mechanisms. Teaches science process skills as well as natural selection, biological species concepts, basic genetic terminology, and classification. Includes teaching notes and classroom management strategies. (Contains 14 references.) (YDS)

This article details an undergraduate class assignment to utilize published map information for the evaluation of specific physical and environmental factors applicable to a hypothetical residential development. On-site field trips and interviews with town planners were used to augment the team-effort within the class land-use discussions and…

Federal parks and monuments are numerous, widespread, and offer unique opportunities for funded research and employment for science undergraduates. Elements essential to quality undergraduate research, contacts, research needs, and funding are discussed, along with description of a successful undergraduate field research program in Missouri. (DH)

Describes a semester-long field trip in which 26 students of the University of Colorado studied the geology of the western United States. Only four of the participating students were geology majors. (JR)

This article details the rationale and purposes of an ecology-travel course-trip made available to preservice education majors at a small liberal arts city college between 1975 and 1987. Included are the course objectives, pretrip planning and procedures, posttrip debriefing, and statistics on destination, participation, duration, and expenses for…

Describes a summer program, funded by the National Science Foundation, focusing on environmental problems. (PEB)

Described is an interdisciplinary science course in speleology. Topics include geology, biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics associated with speleology. The general outline of the course and a reference source list is included. (DS)

Discusses benefits, costs, locales, class recruitment, field supplies, timing, and testing methods. Provides a listing of Caribbean marine field stations routinely available to college classes. (MVL)