A new course, “Methods in Environmental Geology,” was implemented with a problem-based learning format. Instructor lectures were used minimally to provide theoretical background and broader context for student activities. The class worked in teams of three for most assignments in each unit (soils, surface waters, ground waters, and class project). Students were either given data and/or collected it themselves in field and laboratory sessions, collaborating or dividing responsibilities as they chose. They produced joint reports for each assignment, as well as individually producing portfolios which included a summary of course content for the unit, examples of their work, and statements reflecting their understanding of how the work fit into the larger context of the course. Teams discussed and critiqued work by other teams after most assignments. Grading was based on the portfolios (individual) and class project posters (team), and a final exam (individual). The exam, a multi-step problem adapted from a real environmental investigation of a contaminated site, was done individually as a take-home assignment.

The most successful problems were those in which students integrated their own observations with existing data from maps or other sources (e.g. lithologic and geophysical drill logs, climate data, air photos, etc) and/or with results from other lab exercises within the same series. A multi-lab project based at a local park included an initial exercise the first day of class, for which the instructor was not present. While more a matter of necessity than intention, the experience of working without an “authority” present provided a strong foundation for independence within each team which endured throughout the semester. The class project was to determine whether a former lake, drained for farming, could be restored. Students collected data about the site’s water sources, climate, and soil characteristics, and reported results to the land owner. The class project included multiple aspects of professional problem solving: defining the problem given particular constraints, background research, collecting and analyzing field and laboratory data, and preparing a poster presentation.