My report on a uniquely impactful workshop on immersive undergraduate education is also shared here, and has been originally sent out through the Henry M. Jackson School’s International Policy Institute Arctic Initiative July 2019 newsletter.
Immersive undergraduate education: Greenland, the Arctic, and beyond
Fifteen educators from around the world, five days, and nearly two million square kilometers of ice – these were the makings of a unique workshop organized by the Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS; based in Copenhagen, Denmark) with travel to the Disko Bay region of west Greenland. The goals of gathering this group together from May 27-31 included focused discussion on involving undergraduates in research, data collection in the Arctic and how to expand community-based monitoring and citizen-science activity, as well as to connect practitioners across social science, physical science, and student services. We shared experiences, ideas, and established a platform from which these new connections can lead to new efforts bridging research and education across the Arctic and beyond.
What is immersive undergraduate education? To me this means either immersing students in a focused topic in the classroom, immersing students in a place (especially while abroad), or combining the two through targeted lectures, informed discussions, and travel. It is important to incorporate research as part of this learning, and for multi-week study-abroad courses it is valuable for students to exchange with researchers and learn what they do in the places that the class is visiting. I try to do this in my own teaching on topics of sea-level rise, ice loss, climate change, and Arctic environmental change. It was very rewarding to have the chance to engage with other educators who have developed their own immersive-education models spanning the disciplines of biology, biodiversity, sustainability science, chemistry, glaciology, climate science, oceanography, biogeochemistry, and archaeology – where we all recognized the cross-disciplinary nature of these topics in relation to the impacts of Arctic environmental change on all life and on Arctic policy, and the role of traditional ecological knowledge in connection with research as the changes are studied and impacts are addressed.
In addition to stimulating discussions and engaging interactions, we were immersed in the inspiring surroundings of Disko Bay in west Greenland. We flew from Copenhagen, Denmark to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland and then within Greenland took another flight to the town of Ilulissat, and explored the region by boat with an overnight stay in Qeqertarsuaq on Disko Island. This is a place of big ice, ocean life, and a rich history, which are stunning in combination. The experience deepened my regard for these environments and living there, and also provided me with new ways to expand course content in my own teaching. In regards to Arctic policy, environmental change – and especially Arctic ice change – is central to life and to local-to-international decision making. This part of west Greenland is one place, but social and political actions taken here must be considered in relation to people and places across the connected Arctic system. A goal of immersive education is to empower students with knowledge and with the commitment needed to think and to act at this interface across all disciplines.
This workshop was generously initiated and sponsored by the Danish Institute for Study Abroad, and I received additional support to attend from a faculty travel fellowship from Scan|Design @ UW.