What knowledge is needed to address the Front Range “Water Gap,” the projected shortfall in water availability even with best practices? This challenge is presented to students in a case study that is part of a 9 week independent research program for 10 undergraduates through the Urban Water Innovation Network (UWIN). 4DEE-aligned learning goals include building understanding of both biophysical and social systems, and familiarity with practices of scientists and engineers. Cross-cutting themes such as systems, patterns and change are a focus of instruction and support synthesis. We start with a 3-day Kick-off Meeting in Ft. Collins, followed by virtual interactions while students are at institutions across UWIN, and final presentation at the UWIN Annual Meeting. Students make concept maps and reflect at several stages during their exploration, dovetailed with readings, stakeholders meetings (water providers, sewage plant operators, farmers, business people) and fieldwork (river and stormwater sampling). The final product is an integrated systems map of the knowledge needed to address the Water Gap from different domains. Our questions: 1) How do students respond to the case study? 2) Do students accomplish our 4DEE-aligned learning goals for transdisciplinary science? 3) What are the instructional challenges of this approach?” We address these with evidence from student surveys and artifacts (systems maps); and instructor reflections.
Results/Conclusions
Over 90% of our diverse group of engineering, environmental and social science students rated the case study as Very or Extremely Useful, and fieldwork and visits with stakeholders were the most popular. Over the course of the 3 day initial meeting, students shifted from a focus on how their specific training could be used to address the problem to thinking trans-disciplinarily, with a real acknowledgement that water issues cross social, economic, and physical sciences. Analysis of students’ maps showed more systems-orientation and greater specificity in defining the issue, concerns and policy options. Student responses to the Transdisciplinary Orientation Scale on post- versus pre-program surveys showed significant gains (all p<.01) over the 9 week program for: 1) interest in learning about new research methods, 2) interest in learning new disciplinary concepts and theories, 3) ability to conceptualize complex problems, and 4) openness to diverse disciplinary perspectives. Creating a viable case study is difficult because the framing of the problem and its solutions need to be specific enough to allow scientific inquiry, but broad enough that we do not limit students’ attention to a specific discipline or solution type.