Using Art & Culture to Engage Students in the Geosciences

Niccole Villa Cerveny, Ph.D.Geography Faculty

Mesa Community College

The Background

• I am a Geomorphologist• My personal research has aided Archaeology– The RASI Project

• I believe in involving students in research• NSF believes in my involving students in

research• Accidental Affective Domain??

What is RASI

• The Rock Art Stability Index, or RASI, is designed to provide an easy-to-train, cost-effective triage assessment for rock panels in danger of natural or human-induced decay

• NSF CCLI - Collaborative Research: Using the Rock Art Stability Index to Engage Community College Students in Field-Based Interdisciplinary Research

Why is Rock Art Important?

What do the students do?

Rock Art Stability IndexRock Art Stability Index

Setting & geologic structure

Panel weaknesses Evidence of large erosion

events on and below the panel

Evidence of small erosion events on the panel

Rock coatings on the panel Vandalism & other modern

problems

Setting & geologic structure

Panel weaknesses Evidence of large erosion

events on and below the panel

Evidence of small erosion events on the panel

Rock coatings on the panel Vandalism & other modern

problems

Rock Art Stability Index (RASI) Easy to use with minimal

training Allows for complexity

with additional funding Replicable Field worker and site

manager adjustment Cost Effective Status color coding

scheme (“no urgent issues” to “in great danger of loss”)

Mappable with a GIS existing and future

spatial analytical strategies

Security is critical

Unexpected Results

• All students engaged in the project - using science to value the cultural resource– Concept Map/Pre-

Post Tests

• Women and minority students significantly more

What does this mean?

• By adding art and culture, you give students a reason to value what might otherwise seem rather tedious

Special Thanks to:National Science Foundation (DUE-0837451)Petrified Forest National Park

Jason Theuer, Park ArchaeologistMaricopa County Community College District

Mesa CampusArizona State University

Dr. R.I. Dorn & StudentsUniversity of Colorado – Denver

Dr. Case Allen & StudentsAll of the MCC RASI Team Students