The Geology and Sociology of Consumption: Team-Teaching Sustainability in an Interdisciplinary First-Year Seminar

ABSTRACT

The complex consequences of current consumption practices, such as climate change and ecosystem degradation, necessitate increased interdisciplinary exploration. In order to raise student awareness of these consumption-related issues, we designed a first-year team-taught seminar on sustainability. This innovative interdisciplinary course links geology and sociology in examining real-world problems through a variety of reflective, experiential, and collaborative activities. Our assessment of this course was based on a qualitative review of 18 students' reflective blog posts as a direct measure of student learning. While we continue to work on deepening the interconnections between geology and sociology and promoting student agency, students were successful in understanding the multifaceted complex nature of sustainability and recognizing the personal and social implications of consumption. Given these positive outcomes, we encourage the development of similar interdisciplinary collaborations.

Key words: :

• sustainability
• interdisciplinary
• team teaching
• first-year seminar