Gautam Sethi, Associate Professor at the Bard Center for Environmental Policy, has been recognized for developing an innovative climate change education program by a national geosciences education organization, On the Cutting Edge.
Working with Bard Environmental and Urban Studies faculty member Robyn Smyth, and former CEP climate scientist Sandra Penny, Sethi developed a teaching module on “Dynamic Integrated Climate Economy (DICE) Modeling”. On the Cutting Edge awarded the module “Exemplary Status”, putting it in the top 20% of over 3,000 initiatives reviewed by the organization.
In the module, students use webDICE, an online Dynamic Integrated Climate Economy model developed by Center for Robust Decision Making on Climate and Energy Policy at the University of Chicago. Students explore input assumptions and interpret model outputs in small groups in-class and individually out of class. Students also learn how economists estimate the likely monetary damages from global warming.
“The goal is for students to develop their understanding of the sources of uncertainty around future predictions of climate change, and its physical and economic impacts”, said Sethi.
The On the Cutting Edge program for faculty professional development supports excellence in geoscience education through a variety of workshops, web-based resource services and related activities. Each teaching activity considered for the award received two peer reviews from members of the geoscience education community and final recommendations submitted by an Associate Editor. Review criteria included scientific accuracy; alignment of learning goals, activities and assessments; pedagogic effectiveness; robustness (usability and dependability of all resource components); and completeness of the associated Activity Sheets that provide contextual information to guide the effective use of this activity.
Blog post originally published on the CEP Eco Reader Blog.