4 Everyday Geoscience

This session will focus on elevating the importance of geoscience through geoscience education (e.g., curricula development, leading fieldwork experiences, etc.) and/or convergence research (e.g., using community-focused research frameworks/methods, community-engaged research, etc.).

Monday, 18 May 2026
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Alvarado B

Who Are Online Geoscience Students? Learner Typologies and Their Implications for Student Success in Online Earth Science Programs

Paper number: 4-2
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 9:25 AM – 9:45 AM

Authors

Abstract

Online coursework is playing an increasingly central role in geoscience education, particularly following the remote learning that characterized the pandemic. As departments adopt online courses into their degree programs, there is a need to understand who online geoscience learners are and how and why they engage with online geoscience courses. Understanding learner typologies can help departments design courses that align with student needs and support student success.

 

The study was designed to identify online learner typologies in the geosciences to better further this goal. To this end, we developed and fielded a survey instrument to students enrolled in fully online earth science courses at a large public university in the United States. The survey was designed to measure factors known to influence student success, including technology access and online learning confidence, time management and study habits, disciplinary motivation, instructional support, prior online learning experience, environmental values, career goals, and identity with respect to earth sciences generally. Demographic data, enrollment pathways, and course decision factors were also collected.

 

Preliminary analysis suggests three learner typologies differentiated by intrinsic motivation, structural access, and degree-driven enrollment patterns. These typologies include (1) self-directed learners with strong disciplinary interest, (2) access-driven learners balancing work, family, and/or geographic constraints, and (3) requirement-driven learners primarily focused on degree completion. The data also suggest a high baseline of technology self-efficacy, indicating that variation in online geoscience engagement may be shaped more strongly by motivation, identity, and life structure than by technology access alone.

 

This work has implications for geoscience education in higher education as programs expand online offerings. If variation in student success is shaped more strongly by motivation, identity, and life structure than by technology access, program design, recruitment, and student support strategies may need to adapt accordingly.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 58, No. 4

doi: 10.1130/abs/2026RM-410543

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