27th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
Online Lab-Science Offerings: AMS Weather, Ocean, and Climate Studies
James A. Brey
Director, Education Program
American Meteorological Society
Joseph M. Moran
Associate Director, Education Program
American Meteorological Society
Introduction
The American Meteorological Society (AMS) has been a pioneer in the development of online
educational materials since 1996. With changing technology, the AMS has worked with faculty to
enhance their online course offerings as well as introduce new educational resources to the e-classroom,
including labs and case studies.
Developed by the AMS with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), National
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), AMS Weather Studies, AMS Ocean Studies, and AMS Climate Studies are
introductory, undergraduate level, lab science courses available for implementation nationwide. These are
high-caliber, scientifically authentic courses that investigate current topics in Earth science through the
use of real-world environmental data.
More than 600 colleges and universities have incorporated AMS Weather Studies, AMS Ocean Studies,
and AMS Climate Studies into their curriculum, with an increasing number offering the courses
completely online or in a hybrid learning environment. Currently, out of the schools that report such data,
almost half of all AMS Weather Studies offerings are either completely online or in a hybrid learning
environment. More than 30% are doing the same with AMS Ocean Studies and almost 40% with AMS
Climate Studies.
Course Structure
Overview
AMS Weather Studies, AMS Ocean Studies, and AMS Climate Studies each consist of a fully-integrated
set of printed and online learning materials. The courses include a comprehensive 15-chapter textbook,
investigations manual with 30 laboratory-style activities, access to the secure course and faculty
Websites, and a faculty resource CD. Instructors can use these materials in any combination that best suits
their needs.
Textbooks
The textbooks, Weather Studies: Introduction to Meteorology 4th edition,
Ocean Studies: Introduction to Oceanography 3rd edition (new for fall 2011
[Figure 1]), and Climate Studies: Introduction to Climate Science 1st edition,
are authored and/or edited by Joseph M. Moran. Each full-color text
investigates the geosciences from an Earth system perspective.
Figure 1. New AMS Ocean Studies Textbook
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27th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
Every chapter opens with a “Case-in-Point,” an authentic, relevant, and real-life event that applies a main
concept covered in the chapter, previewing the chapter and engaging the reader’s interest. The “Case-inPoint” is followed by a sample “Driving Question,” a broad-based query that links chapter concepts and
provides a central focus for that week’s study. The “Driving Question” leads students into the chapter
narrative, which is concluded with “Basic Understandings” along with “Review and Critical Thinking
Questions.” The textbook is typically used in conjunction with the Investigations Manual and course
Website, but can also be used alone.
Investigations Manual
Updated annually, the investigation manual contains 30 laboratory activities two per textbook chapter
(Figure 2), and innovatively connects with an optional third online component, Current Weather Studies,
Current Ocean Studies, and Current Climate Studies, via the course Website.
The following is an excerpt from the AMS Climate Studies
Investigations Manual relating to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.
Investigation 9B: Methane Hydrates
Diagram shows why methane hydrate formed when methane and water
mixed inside the dome.
Plot a point at a depth of 1500 m and temperature of 5.5 ºC, representing
the conditions at the seafloor well site. It falls within the yellow portion
of the diagram indicating stable conditions for the existence of methane
hydrate.
Figure 2. Methane Hydrate Phase Diagram denoting depth (i.e., pressure) and temperature at which
methane hydrate can exist. Methane hydrate is a solid. [National Energy Technology
Laboratory, DOE]
Course Website
The secure course Website is an all-inclusive Webpage that provides links to numerous external sources
as well as other information to further engage and educate students. It is where students and faculty gain
access to the Current Weather Studies, Current Ocean Studies, and Current Climate Studies
investigations. These online lab activities introduce a variety of current-event topics and expose students
to real-world data including but not limited to: products from the National Weather Service (NWS),
reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean
(TAO) or TAO/TRITON array, as well as other real-time data from lead scientific organizations, such as
the Korea Meteorological Administration
(Figures 3 and 4).
Figure 3. Excerpt from Current Ocean
Studies 8: Global Warming: Rising Sea
Levels and Coastal Impacts. Model
generated pattern of the leading wave of the
Tohoku Tsunami. [NOAA Center for
Tsunami Research, PMEL]
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27th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
The following is an excerpt from the
Current Weather Studies 8B: Upper-Air
Weather Maps, tracking radiation fallout
from the Japan Nuclear Power Plant
Disaster.
15. Highlight the unlabeled 5400-m
contour from Japan eastward as the wind
blows to the North American West Coast.
The general 500-mb contour pattern
across the northern Pacific Ocean suggests
the wind speeds are relatively
[(slow)(fast)] as inferred by the spacing of
the contour lines. Therefore, the winds
also generally flow parallel to these
contour lines.
16. Assuming the radioactive materials
from the Sendai power plants that were
released into the atmosphere follow the
wind flow as evidenced by the 500-mb
contours, the area of North America
where they might be detected would likely
be [(northern and central Mexico)(the
Northwest U.S. and western Canada)(the
Southeastern U.S. and Caribbean)].
.
Figure 4. Hemispheric 500-mb constant-pressure map for 12Z 22 MAR 2011 from the Korea
Meteorological Administration. This is a view of the middle tropospheric contour and temperature
conditions over the Northern Hemisphere.
Other course Website resources include the Daily Weather Summary (for AMS Weather Studies), updated
daily (during the fall and spring semesters) with a comprehensive analysis of the synoptic weather in the
United States for the previous 24 hours, as well as historical weather events. The Weekly Weather,
Ocean, and Climate News are freshly prepared every Monday with important news from these sciences.
Algebra- and calculus-level math applications (AMS Weather Studies only), along with access to COMET
modules, chapter self-test questions, and geoscience career information are other resources found on the
course Website.
Faculty Resource Material
Course instructors receive a Faculty CD that contains a faculty manual including learning objectives and
suggestions for course implementation, as well as investigations manual answer forms compatible with
any course management system, test bank questions and answers, textbook images, and PowerPoint®
presentations for each chapter.
The investigations manual answer forms, found on the faculty CD, are files compatible with Respondus®,
test-generating software for which many institutions are licensed (answer forms are also provided in
Respondus® format). The faculty member has the option of delivering questions through their course
Copyright 2011 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
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27th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
management system to allow automatic scoring and immediate results for their students. This feature
allows for full integration to a college’s e-learning environment.
The secure faculty Website delivers answers to chapter Review and Critical Thinking, investigations
manual, as well as Respondus®-formatted answer forms for Current Weather/Ocean/Climate Studies
questions for immediate insertion into a course management system quizzing function.
Course Implementation
AMS Weather Studies, AMS Ocean Studies, and AMS Climate Studies may be implemented as a new
institutional course offering, a revision of an existing course, the expansion of an existing course to
include a lab component, or may be used to create an online course, particularly as an online lab science.
These courses are unique in that they can be offered in completely online, blended, and face-to-face
lecture or lecture/laboratory learning environments by experienced science faculty or those new to
teaching the subject matter. Mentoring by AMS-trained course instructors is available to all new
instructors.
Course License Procedure
A license is required for institutions using both the textbook and the Investigations Manual. The license
includes the textbook, Investigations Manual, and course and faculty Websites, or the Investigations
Manual and/or course Website alone. A textbook-only option is available; however, does not include any
of the faculty resources or access to the course and faculty Websites.
The Course License covers the fall, spring, and summer semesters beginning August 15th and ending the
following August 14th. The license fee is $149 per institution, regardless of the number of sections or the
number of students and regardless of when an institution begins their license within the academic year.
Students enrolled in the course receive local institutional credit and purchase course materials either
through their college bookstore or through the AMS Online Bookstore.
Summary
AMS Weather Studies, AMS Ocean Studies, and AMS Climate Studies aim to interest all students in the
geosciences and are designed to increase scientific literacy through the use of real-world data. The AMS
strongly encourages implementation of the course at undergraduate institutions in the U.S., Canada, and
worldwide. For more information, please visit http://www.ametsoc.org/amsedu.
About the Presenters
Dr. James Brey is the Director of the American Meteorological Society Education Program. Prior to this,
he was a Professor of Geography and Geology at the University of Wisconsin Fox Valley and was a
leader in the development and offering of AMS Weather Studies and AMS Ocean Studies. Dr. Brey
successfully delivered the AMS Weather Studies course online, on-campus, and blended lecture/laboratory
settings for 8 years at the University of Wisconsin Colleges Online Program, where it is still offered. Dr.
Brey is considered an expert in progressive educational delivery methods and the latest in pedagogical
and technical innovation.
Address: 1120 G Street NW
Suite 800
Washington, DC 20005
Email: brey@ametsoc.org
URL:
http://www.ametsoc.org/amsedu
Phone: 202-737-1043
Copyright 2011 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
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27th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
Dr. Joseph Moran is an Associate Director of the American Meteorological Society Education Program
and Professor Emeritus of Earth Science at the University of Wisconsin Green Bay. He is the principal
author of the AMS Weather Studies, AMS Ocean Studies, and AMS Climate Studies textbooks. Dr. Moran
is also the author of several other leading meteorology, Earth, and environmental science texts at the
introductory college level.
Address: UW-Green Bay
Laboratory Sciences Bldg.
2420 Nicolet Drive
Green Bay, WI 54311
Email: moran@ametsoc.org
http://www.ametsoc.org/amsedu
URL:
Phone: 920-465-2432
Copyright 2011 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
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