Katherine Ryker
Geography and Geology, School of the Earth, Ocean and Environment
University of South Carolina-Columbia
I am an Assistant Professor of Geoscience Education at the University of South Carolina, and have served the NAGT Geoscience Education Research division as Secretary (2014-2017), Vice President, President and Past President (2017-2020).
My primary research interests revolve around 1) interventions in introductory geoscience classes (especially labs) to improve cognitive and affective learning goals, and 2) teaching professional development (faculty, graduate teaching assistants and pre- and in-service teachers). This includes exploring connections between reformed teaching practices, student learning, teaching beliefs, and the implementation of inquiry-based geoscience labs. Other specific topics I am interested in include the use of augmented and virtual reality in geoscience programs and how teachers develop their beliefs and identities over time.
I am always open to establishing new collaborations! Please let me know if you're interested in tackling a question together.
Website Content Contributions
Activities (7)
GeoClick: Sedimentary Environments part of Pedagogy in Action:Library:Spatial Reasoning with GeoClick Questions:Examples
Students apply their understanding of sedimentary rocks and sediment characteristics to identify where rocks may be forming using a simplified cross-section of a landscape from mountain to sea.
Conference Presentations (33)
Increasing geoscience enrollment and engagement by transforming perceptions of geoscience- Insights from outreach on YouTube and surveys part of Earth Educators Rendezvous:Rendezvous 2024:Program:Oral Sessions:Thursday Oral Session A
Enrollment in geoscience departments is currently decreasing, which is projected to cause a major shortage of geoscientists in the workforce over the next decade. It is crucial that we reverse this trend as ...
Other Contributions (20)
GER at EER: What Should Future Programming Look Like? part of Earth Educators Rendezvous:Rendezvous 2024:Program:Round Table Discussions
The Earth Educators' Rendezvous (EER) offers many important opportunities for geoscience educators to gather - including participating in and offering one another professional development in geoscience ...
Communities
Southeastern Section, Geoscience Education Research Division
40 activities reviewed
July 2017 Earth Educators Rendezvous 2015
July 2015 Planning CommitteeTeaching Geoscience Online
Teaching with Augmented and Virtual Reality Interest
ICON Education Interest List
NAGT Teaching Graduate Students
Education Icon
GeoPRISMS Interest Community
NAGT All
JGE Associate Editors
Integrate/GETSI 2023 Survey
2023 EER Review Camp Reviewers
Advocacy Interest Group
ASCN Member
Earth Educators' Rendezvous 2016
Earth Educators' Rendezvous 2023 Attendees
EER 2019 Contributed Program Committee
NAGT Investment Committee
Living on the Edge Interest Group
Compass Community Discovery Advisors
Teach the Earth
Earth Educators' Rendezvous Interest Group
Workshop Leader (6 workshops)
July 2020Earth Educators Rendezvous 2019 mini-workshop: Spicing Up Your Assessments: Moving beyond exams
Measuring and Increasing the Level of Inquiry in Science Laboratory Activities
Workshop Participant (55 workshops)
April 2022 Strengthening Engagement between Disciplinary Societies and Community Colleges
January 2022 Earth Educators' Rendezvous 2021
July 2021