Lowering Barriers to Teach Earth Data Science to Undergraduates in Historically Underrepresented Communities Using a Virtual, Student-Directed Learning Environment

There is a mismatch between demand for a data-cable workforce with skills at the intersection of earth and data science (earth data science) and the capacity to teach those skills, particularly at schools serving historically underrepresented communities. The Earth Data Science Corps (EDSC) is a fully-online model that builds capacity for faculty and undergraduate students at institutions serving underrepresented communities to teach and learn earth data science. The EDSC builds sustainable teaching capacity while training students in critical data and career development skills in a virtual space. Access to these skills is further democratized by publishing curricular materials online as open education resources for anyone to use.Here we will present best practices for teaching and learning EDS skills online, derived from a program-wide evaluation that considers underrepresented groups, supports mentorship and community building, and scales to broaden reach. We will discuss tools comprising our learning environment including a cloud-based JupyterHub and autograding platform. We will also review best practices for online content delivery including 1. pairing synchronous video training with open education resources to facilitate active, student-directed learning; 2. using discussion forums and chat to encourage engagement, and 3. managing student mentoring challenges in a virtual space to support project-based learning. Initial findings indicate that online learning can effectively build confidence in using EDS skills but requires careful consideration of teaching delivery. Further, the use of small breakout rooms paired with chat supports class level engagement. Finally, open education resources can support a flipped classroom approach. Mentoring students in a virtual space further requires additional training of mentors to ensure communication lines with students remain open. Collecting real-time student feedback and modifying our delivery will also be discussed.