EAGER: Scenario-based COMET Training for Careers in the Weather, Water and Climate Industry

University Corporation For Atmospheric Res, Boulder CO

Investigators

Abstract

Weather, water, and climate impact nearly every sector of the economy. In the coming years, jobs in the atmospheric sciences are expected to grow at a faster rate than average and the best job prospects are expected to be in private industry. However, the traditional curriculum in atmospheric science often falls short of developing in students the skillsets necessary for private sector employment. By emphasizing training content specific to industry and societal needs, this project will produce educational materials to transform the instruction of the atmospheric science workforce and promote a cohort of atmospheric science graduates prepared to meet the evolving needs of society with the skills to address the types of work in the private sector. The overall goal of this project is to develop online and classroom training materials that expose university students to careers in the private sector of the weather, water, and climate enterprise and allow them to apply relevant skills within real-world industry scenarios. The project is a collaborative effort involving the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s Research Application Lab, private industry subject matter experts, and atmospheric science faculty. The expected outcomes of this project are to address the most critical skill gaps and needs of the atmospheric science workforce and promote greater use and adoption of scenario-based pedagogical approaches in providing online, active learning opportunities. Development of introductory level course material aimed toward students entering the atmospheric sciences/meteorology major will cover: 1) what function(s) each industry primarily performs and the importance of their services, 2) how weather, water and climate information are generally used in these functions, 3) what the most common positions in these functions are responsible for performing and 4) what additional technical and power skills enable staff to succeed at these functions. The introductory course material will include video vignettes from subject matter experts representing the diversity of the private sector. A learning resource for upper-level undergraduate students to apply associated technical and power skills within a real-world industry scenario will be developed. The upper-level material will involve selection of a weather event that broadly impacted many industries to serve as a case study in which students can assume the role of one of several industry professionals. Materials for the scenarios classroom exercise may include, but are not limited to: 1) a package of typical weather case data for meteorological analysis of the event, 2) four to eight multimedia industry scenarios that contain service delivery task prompts, 3) a package of complementary industry-specific data for each scenario, 4) a set of industry subject matter expert service-delivery experiences and explanations for each scenario, and 5) an instructor’s guide with instructions and course integration and adaptation tips. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.